Kingdom Hearts 4 - Quest for the Heart
by robertkellett
Summary: After defeating Xehanort, one would assume a happy ending is in store for everyone. But Sora and Kairi never got theirs, both yanked away from each other once more. While Sora fights his own darkness, Riku and Kairi search for him to find answers and cope with the loss of their best friend. (Spoilers for KH3) Cover Art by TrinityXaos2 (Project In Process of Reboot)
1. Fairy Tale Ending

_**Hello everyone! This is me giving my recent string of KH one-shots a proper place to all home; a full-on story. They connect to each other anyway, so why not flesh each chapter out a wee bit and put them in a spot where people don't have to follow/favorite each thing? They are still going to come out bi-daily regardless of this minor shift in format, so hope you enjoy! This is going to be a brand new piece of the story though, a proper introduction instead of just Kairi and Riku going to the Pirates World.**_

* * *

Kairi froze, the warm sunset coating her somber features as Sora's touch vanished like fine dust. "S-Sora?" Kairi said aloud, hoping that this was just some sick dream or maybe Riku putting a bit too much sugar in her coffee resulted in her mind going bonkers. But no, she reached out with her free hand, only feeling the summer breeze gently hovering by. Her face grew wet tears, her free hand now a fist and slamming the log she was sitting on. As if picking up her distress, Riku dashed past Namine and put a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "Sora... He's gone."

"He was just right here though... How could he have..." Riku said slowly, his breath uneasy. But what baffled the two of them... Was that their friends didn't even react. Thinking it's a sick joke, Riku turned to everyone and screamed. "You guys just going to stand there with blank faces?! Sora's gone!" Mickey turned to Donald and Goofy, both of them having confused looks. Aqua just held Terra's hand, unsure why Riku is so angry. However, three figures rushed toward Riku. Xion, Roxas and Ventus looked where Sora was sitting mere moments ago, trying to figure out _why _he vanished. Xion covered her mouth, nearly crying herself but Roxas holding her calmed the girl down somewhat. Ven just put a hand on the log, as if trying to feel Sora, but frowned harshly.

"I saw him... But I can't _feel _him anymore..." He looked to Roxas and Xion, both sharing equally devastated looks that said their unified thought; they couldn't feel him anymore either. "Riku, what just happened?"

Mickey picking up on what was going on pulled Riku and Kairi aside. "I knew Sora shouldn't have rushed after you like that..." He muttered, with Riku raising an eyebrow. Noticing Kairi's hostile expression, he coughed, clearing his throat. "Sora's power of waking can restore hearts, but if you use it too much..."

"You have to give yourself up to use it." Kairi finished, wiping her face and looking absolutely livid. "All because I couldn't defend myself properly, Sora had to give himself up." She threw up her hood and took a deep breath. "I... I'm fine, Mickey. You should take our friends home, I'm sure Donald and Goofy are devastated too." Riku put a hand on Kairi's shoulder, the girl's breath hitching before tears threatened to fall once more. The duck and goof walked up to the three, giving Riku and Kairi a hug.

"If you need help finding our half-pint, let us know." Donald said in a very oddly clear voice, which made Goofy nearly did a double take. But the knight just let go and looked right at Riku.

"We both know Sora is a tough one, but he gets into a lot of trouble..." Riku bit his lip, agreeing with his friend. The sadness in Donald and Goofy's eyes were even more tragic than Kairi's, making the girl's heartbreak. More than it's already been. But she frowned, feeling stupid not realizing how next to herself and Riku, Donald and Goofy were Sora's closest friends too. She knelt down and gave them a smile, or at least tried too. "He really loves you Kairi, please don't blame yourself." Donald nodded in agreement, with the two saying their goodbyes. Mickey gave Riku a look, with the boy sending a smirk toward the mouse. Mickey wanted to say something else, but simply sighed, as if they silently discussed a bold idea without her knowledge.

Ven, Xion, and Roxas walked up to Riku, the three having a firm conviction in their eyes. "Sora is why we are here right now," Xion said for the three of them, holding Roxas' hand tightly. "If you two need any help looking for him, please let us know." Kairi walked up to them, with the girl giving Kairi a warm hug. "I... I'm sorry... I don't know how..."

"I'll manage." Kairl let Xion go, with both of them wiping away tears. Ventus just held out his fist, with Riku bumping it. Kairi turned to the boy, still confused why him and Roxas' look like twins, but that humourous thought didn't last long before he put a hand on Kairi's shoulder. She just nodded, as if telling the boy she will be fine. He let go, his blue eyes, looking so much like Sora's, not fully believing her. The three went back to their teammates, with Kairi walking toward Aqua and pulling her aside for a moment.

"I need to get stronger." She said firmly, with conviction and a touch of anger leaking into her voice. Not even hesitating, Aqua smiled, though part of her winced seeing her past self so much in Kairi.

"I wish you didn't need to go through what I went through..." She said aloud, with Kairl tilting her head. Not answering her question, Aqua kelt down and smiled. "I will be teaching you a lot as my student, so be ready. I need some time to relax, but call me tomorrow and we can work something out." Kairi nodded, hugging the keyblade master. "You are a strong warrior, don't let your losses today define you." Kairi nodded once more, Aqua's voice soothing her troubled soul.

Riku just leaned on the tree nearby, seeing the aftermath for everyone else. Isa's clear lack of interest pissing off Lea to no end made him snicker despite himself and Terra just giving Riku a firm look of guilt made him sigh. It's not the man's fault he was possessed, Riku could relate on a personal level. Once everyone left the island, the sun was just about to set and Kairi slowly walked past Riku, just stopping inches away from him. "We are finding him, no matter what." Riku nodded but didn't say anything else to his friend, seeing Kairi walk off.

A soft hand holding his, Riku looked at Namine, her gentle face saying everything; she felt Kairi's deep sadness more than anyone on the beach. Holding his girlfriend's hand, Riku and Nanime walked to his hut and went to sleep for the night, trying to figure out the next step. Simply on _how _to find Sora.

* * *

Sora's vision was hazy, feeling wet rain lightly touch his body. "K-Kairi?" He asked aloud, rubbing his throbbing head. Slowly standing up, he was simply rubbing his neck as he looked at his surroundings. A tall building that said '104' got his attention the most, with the semi-futuristic buildings reminding him of his trip to Hiro's world. "So I saved Kairi..." Sora told himself, a warm smile growing on his face. But it quickly turned into a frown, realizing he wasn't on the islands anymore, indicating he failed at saving himself. "Maybe I should ask for directions?"

He looked around, confused why a large city like this was so... Empty. More so considering past world's he's been to lately being filled with people and in the case of Woody's and Mike's home, toys and monsters, to speak too. As if hearing his confusion, a laugh got Sora's attention. He quickly turned around, summoning his Starlight Keyblade. Before Sora was a sight he hated at this point; a man in a black coat. "Is that any way to greet your ruler?"

"What?" Sora asked in complete confusion, the man just walking toward Sora casually. Sora backed away, his grip on the keyblade tightening. "As if, your Organization..." Then Sora paused; he defeated every member. How is one still alive? He personally saw all of them fall on the ground and more or less admit to their sins. Then, he remembers not fully seeing Xibar die, his teeth gritting. "Xigbar!"

"You are sharp on the uptake!" He threw back his hood, revealing said man. "But I was just kidding about being your ruler. The one in charge of this place is someone like you." Sora grit his teeth, feeling a firgra spell itching to blast Xigbar to next week. "I got a name change though kiddo. Call me Luxu. Think of it as, a bit of a nickname I used to have, but want to take back as it were."

"...Why am I here." Sora demanded, his blade ready to send hell right at Luxu. The man froze, only sighing and folding his arms. "I should be home, with Kairi, not here in..."

"My old boss already told you why you're here." Luxu bluntly said, with Sora mouthing 'no'. Memories of Young Xehenort played on loop, angry at the little jerk _actually _being right about something. Picking up on Sora's frustration, Luxu put a hand on the boy's shoulder, with Sora slapping it away. "Good news! I'm not going to hurt you this time."

"But...?" Sora asked, knowing how Organization members played tricks on him. _And I'm sick of it. _Sora thought, with Luxu whistling a familiar tune, something Sora heard in his dreams whenever diving into the heart.

"My boss wants to test you. There are seven 'bad guys' roaming this city and this is a bigger world than you're used too." Luxu continued, with Sora narrowing his eyes. "Keep giving me that Roxas glare and I hit you with my keyblade champ." Sora was about to scoff but when Luxu summoned his No Name, Sora's mouth nearly dropped. "Yep, told ya I was worthy. That look on your face made my day here."

Sora simply sighed, folding his arms and flicking his keybalde away. "Fine." Luxu blinked at Sora's blunt tone. No arguments, no call backs, no 'friends are my power' nonsense. Just, right to the chase. "What? I want to go home and if this is how, so be it. Where is the first 'bad guy' Luxu." Sora asked, sorting out his gear. Sora was surprised that all his keychains and spells were accounted for. Even the spare Potions and Eithers he didn't use for his grand battle with Xehenort were still on his person. Luxu saw Sora's blue eyes, having a level of seriousness that made him smirk as if something was going according to plan. Noticing his silence, Sora glared at Luxu, keyblade now at hand. "I'm not helping you if I get no 'hints', okay?"

"Yesh, you are like that Riku kid." Sora winced at his friend's mention, already missing a friendly face. "Head that way." He pointed toward an alleyway, with a castle-like structure popping out in the distance. "Maybe you will find a friend."

"Yeah, sure. Adventure awaits." Sora said dully, walking at an even pace and his face dejected, though deathly serious. _Please, give me the strength to push onward Kairi. _Somewhat happy thoughts in mind, Sora put on a smile, one a bit strained and went on his latest adventure. Unaware to Sora though, was a young man with miscolored eyes watching him intently, wondering why he was headed to his castle.


	2. Exploring the Seas

**_Thank you all for reading my work! Here is an edited and slightly expanded 'Exploring the Seas'._**

* * *

Lugging a bag over his shoulder, Riku didn't even turn around when he asked a question to his partner on this latest quest. "You don't have to come with me, they are going to be mentioning Sora a lot." A scoffed was earned in response, with Kairi yanking the bag form Riku and walking ahead. Rolling his eyes, he followed her into the Gummi Ship he got on loan from King Mickey.

Sitting in the captain's seat, Kairi studied the controls, tapping her chin. Riku blinked at the sight, her trying to sort out how the massive ship works. "Don't worry, Sora told me how to use this thing." _That's why my stomach is already winching. _Riku just rested on the oddly soft chairs and reflected on a few things.

Firstly, was how the passing of his best friend didn't upset him as much as he expected. Riku, somewhere in his mind, knew Sora was okay. Going on more adventure, likely seeing more worlds, trying to fight his way back to the realm of light. What surprised him, was how Kairi reacted, as Sora vanished out of thin air right before her eyes. She was clearly sad, morning him still by using the Kingdom Key keyblade instead of her Destiny's Embrace one. And Riku heard her crying alone on the island shores back home for the first week after his passing. But the thing that surprised him, was _her _insisting they go on a quest to look for him. _I was going to suggest that to Roxas, Xion, and Ven. _Riku thought to himself, feeling that Sora's other-selves would have a better clue on where he might be. But logic hit him in the face when Kairi showed him the Papu Fruit she shared with Sora, making him snicker. _She really is a good match for him._ Plus, it also helped that Master Aqua has been working Kairi ragged the past week, ensuring Riku she can hold her own.

Focusing on the ship's controls, Kairi bit her lip, feeling her connection to Sora dim each passing minute. Darkness actually was touching his heart, and he was _embracing it_, which greatly worried Kairi. Shaking the worry off, she thought about positive things, like meeting all of Sora's friends he gathered off-world the past few years. Looking at Riku, she gave a silly expression. "So uh… Where should we go first?"

"You aren't going to follow your heart?" Riku asked, his tone mixing seriousness and mild amusement. Kairi pouted, making Riku throw up his hands. "Sorry, but he's been to so many worlds, it's hard to tell if he landed in any one of them." Tapping his chin, Riku snapped his fingers. "I got an idea."

Kairi saw him tap on his Gummi Phone, with a jolly beat playing. Kairi leaned over, to see what who he was calling. Roxas popped up on the screen, with shouting from Xion and Lea echoing in the background. "Riku! Kairi! What's up? If you want to stop by, I can get Axel to get some ice…"

"Kinda sick of sea salt for the moment, but thanks." Kairi joked, making Roxas have an expression of 'how dare you' for a split second. Shaking his head, he grew a serious one, assuming this is about his brother. "Out of all the places Sora's been too on his latest adventure, you know the one he enjoyed the most?"

"Shouldn't you both know? You are his best friends." Roxas said with a dull tone. Riku didn't get taken aback by this, as he figured Sora was so caught up seeing the worlds, that he just didn't get a chance to call. Kairi, however, gave one of the most hostile expressions she's ever given to anyone, making Roxas nearly turn a shade of white. "Sorry! I... He was too busy to talk to you both I guess…"

"Just tell us." Kairi demanded, her attempt at being friendly failing and restoring to what her master Aqua told her, was 'be too the point when they annoy you enough'. Roxas rubbed his chin before nodding at a thought.

"He really loved being a pirate." Roxas laughed, letting his brother's memories cloud his mind. "We spent a long time there, more than any other world. And I remember he revisited it a few times with Donald and Goofy before he tried his hand at being a superhero. That was pretty fun too."

"Carribean it is," Kairi stated and plotted it in the ship's controls. Roxas blinked, not even remembering Sora call or message Kairi at all on his adventure. How did she know about the place? Riku laughed at his friend's confusion.

"Sora gushed about being a pirate for a while after defeating Xemnas. He wouldn't shut up about 'surfing the ocean shores' to Kairi. She nearly fainted when he mentioned…." A keyblade edge was right at Riku's head, daring him to finish his thought. Roxas and Riku stayed silent until she went back to the ship's controls. "...Yeah, he must have loved seeing Jack again."

"Which Jack? The skeleton or the pirate?" Roxas joked, making the two boys laugh hearted. The silence was left and they looked tired. "...You think Sora can be found? I don't feel him at all in my heart, same with Xion and Ven. And he was a _part _of us and vice versa. Been that way since..."

"Kairi still feels him and that's what I'm going off of." Riku cut him off, with Roxas nodding. He then heard Xion shout to get off the phone. "I can tell you're busy, so will let you know how the search is going. And keep trying to reach out to him, I might need you and Ven if this quest fails."

"Gotta. See ya later Riku." Roxas was about to turn off the phone when Xion grabbed it and said hi, as did Axel and Isa. He was trying to turn it off when a loud _crunch _was heard on the other end. The screen faded with Riku blinking in response. Turning to Kairi, she just giggled at the antics, seemingly aware of what just happened. _Guess she has a connection to more than just Sora. _He thought, leaning back in his chair as they blasted off across the endless sea of space.

* * *

Landing in a jungle near Port Royal, Kairi blinked at her new clothing. She instead of a hoodie mixed with a dress, she instead wore a purple captains coat with dirty skinny jeans and long boots. Riku's look mirrored Sora's, which was something she got pictures of when they relaxed before the final battle. Instead of blue themed, his was black… Making it an even darker look. If that was even possible. Riku just fixed his red cap, having his keyblade's logo in the center of it. They looked around the town, seeing people live their lives and what not. One man was spinning on a barrel to earn money, with him commenting 'I saw a kid with a key do this and coins literally appeared out of thin air' and everyone just shook their head.

Kairi's eyes went wide though, seeing a massive ship dock near the town. Hopping out of it was a drunken captain, his bangs flowing in the wind. Twitching his blue eyes, he looked right at Riku and Kairi, a knowing smirk gracing his lips. "Gibs! Our mate's friends showed up. Dock the ship for me, will ya?"

Gibs grumbled as Jack strolled his way past some town's people, nearly knocking one into the water. Riku turned to Kairi whispering, "Sora was friends with this guy? I can smell him from here."

Kairi smiled, holding out her hand. "I feel strong light in him, he just wears darkness like a coat sometimes, like you." Riku shook his head and the captain studied the two teens. "Hello, we are looking for our friend and wondered if he stopped by here lately."

"Ah, so you are the lass he's fallen for." Kairi blushed at the comment, with Jack turning to Riku. "And you're the mate he was looking for the first them he crashed in my hovel here." He held out his hands, expecting a hug or something. "Welcome to the seas, captains of… Whatever ship you have is."

Riku shook Jack's hand, as did Kairi and they board his ship. Walking past Gibs and Elizabeth, both having wide eyes at the two teens, they went into a captain's room. Sitting on a half-broken board, the two looked at Jack, bravo gone from his eyes. Sadness, familiar sadness Kairi and Riku were both familiar with, etched his face. Kairi tried talking but couldn't say anything. Riku was going to talk but Jack cut him off.

"Sora met Davey Joes, ey mate?" Riku bit his lip, with Kairi nodding, a tear coming down her cheek. "Had the feel'n. This ship was Sora's." The two blinked at the comment, with Jack getting up and taking a picture out. It was of himself, Sora, Donald, and Goofy on an isolated island holding a half-dead heartless fish like a trophy. "My mates and I went on many adventures. But the boy looked so tired in his bright blue eyes. Like… He didn't have much in him anymore." Putting the picture down, he sat back in his seat, hands trying to touch a bottle, one of many, but didn't touch it at the last second. The sent of alcohol was strong in the room, nearly making Kairi gag. Riku just took a bottle himself and started slugging it down, making Jack smirk. "Got a taste for the ale, don't ya?"

"Need something to sooth the nerves," Riku admitted, putting the bottle down. Kairi's jaw nearly dropped but shook her head instead. "We can't really say _how _he went but… Sora, us and the rest of our friends fought a threat and we couldn't save everyone." Kairi's head tilted down, as if ashamed of her passing at Xehanort's hands. "But Sora found a way, even if he couldn't save himself in the end. Selfless to the end." He held up the bottle, with Jack taking one of his and hitting Riku's. The two slugged some down before putting it down.

"Ey, so he has much in common with Tuner. Lost himself to protect that lass of his." Kairi looked up, confused at Jack's comment. "Jones tried weazling me into one of his 'fair deals' and I found a way out of it. But the bastard is a stubborn one, you see." Jack clasped his hands together, eyes narrowed map on his desk. "I fought him with my mates, and we bested him. But Davey had other plans, harming my mate Will." Jack clenched his fist, anger somewhat forming on his face. "Sora, boy, did he get a taste of that darkness you fella's fight. He nearly slugged Davey right across the face. Never heard the boy scream that much." Jack leaned back in his seat. "Tell me, has he ever faced loss before this 'grand battle'?"

"You mean, someone dying in front of him?" Kairi asked, with Jack nodding. "...No. Whenever we defeat a heartless or any creature for that matter, they turn into a heart that floats away or just vanishes. Will just… Died? Body cold on the ground?" Jack nodded, sipping from his drink. Kairi clenched the helm of her jacket, frustration forming on her face.

"Whatever your feeling lass, it's not your fault." Jack stood up and opened his cabin door. "You got the fire in your eyes like Elizabeth has. Sora found a good lass in you." He left the room, trying to get some air himself. Away from Sora's friends, Jack finally understood why Sora was so hurt during that fight. Taking a deep breath, he put on his classic aloof expression and went to the captain's wheel.

Back in the cabin, Kairi looked at Riku, having somber eyes. "...He really didn't have as much fun this adventure." Riku wanted to shrug his shoulders, unsure if he could even answer that. But it made him worry, his fist clenched. If he faced so much _before _the final clash, what's going to happen now that he's got nobody wherever he's at right now? At least Donald and Goofy were here when Sora saw… What Jack just told them. Kairi held Riku's hand, giving a firm expression. "We are going to find him." She squeezed it before heading out of the cabin, walking aboard Sora's ship with confidence. She went right past Jack, grabbing the captains wheel. "Mind if I take control for a bit?"

Jack smirked. "By all means, Captian." He looked at a nearby map while the crew looked on in complete confusion. The ship seemingly started moving on its own, with everyone at awe seeing Kairi control the ship like some natural-born pirate. Riku looked on with a warm smile, seeing for the first time in a long while, Kairi happy. _And I know you're happy to Sora, wherever you are._

* * *

Nightfall coated the sea's skies, with everyone sleeping in their posts. Kairi decided to man the wheel, enjoying the power flowing through her fingertips. "You okay?" Elizabeth asked, getting Kairi's attention. She just met the woman but could tell Elizabeth had a fire in her that would make Master Aqua smirk. "I heard from Jack what happened and..."

"It's okay." Kairi interrupted, sighing and tightening her hold on the wheel. "...It's _not _really, but what can I do but look for him?" Elizabeth just leaned on some wood, watching her fellow crew-mates sleeping on barrels and what not. Kairi noticed her somber eyes, wanting to reach out but decided not to, keeping the ship steady.

"I can't see will for ten years." Kairi's eyes darted toward hers, blinking in pure surprise. "Yeah, the Dutchmen needs a captain and the sacrifice for Will coming back, was..." She couldn't finish, tears forming in her eyes before she blinked them away. "But, I can feel him in my heart. Can you feel Sora in yours?" Kairi clenched her chest with a free hand, feeling Sora despite how oddly weak his light felt. The warmth they shared when eating the Papu Fruit, promises they made to each other after the battle... She felt that still, her love for him was still _strong_. Picking up Kairi's warm smile and near-radiant glow, Elizabeth smiled. "Keep your light, and he will be found."

"Yeah." Kairi answered, the two woman taming the open seas as if it was their own.


	3. Violent Waves

_**Okay! Back at it with a new chapter. Not expanding something I already did, but fleshing out the trip to the Carabbian with a much-needed conclusion piece to the one-shot. I can't call a story 'Kingdom Hearts 4' if it's just Riku and Kairi having emotional moments with various characters, can I? Hope you enjoy and thank you for the feedback! Going to do review responses starting the next chapter, so keep an eye out :). **_

* * *

Stretching his back, Riku had his hand firm on the canons, ready for any heartless ships attacking S… _Kairi's _Ship, something the keyblade master simply shook his head at. Turning to his best friend manning the wheel, Jack Sparrow looking at the map intently, the sight was beyond amusing. _If only Sora could see this… _The boy pondered, not letting the underlying sadness linger for long.

For the longest time, Riku remembered Sora always finishing a tale about exploring a world with 'I can't wait for you guys to see it one day!' and now, Riku simply smiled watching the ocean wave in and out with the waves. _And you are seeing us explore those very worlds. _

"You slacker!" Kairi shouted, casting a weak water spell on Riku, the boy wincing at his now wet attire. "Man the cannons! Heartless are attacking!" Everyone shouted 'aye aye' and dashed to their stations. Thankful a quick gust of Aroa dried his clothing, Riku's eyes glared at the nearby ships, heartless logo proudly on its flags. Lighting the cannons, him and his fellow mates unleashed a series of attacks. Kairi used her keyblade to cast a powerful Reflectga around the ship, preventing any damage to strike her ship.

Jack saw some nearby ships burning to flames, cutting some odd rope. It sent a massive anchor into the ship, with Riku smirking. _Now! _He hopped on top of it, with Kairi and Jack following, the trio landing on the ship and seeing the remaining heartless scurrying about. Jack threw some bombs in the air, with Kairi hitting them like baseballs at the heartless. Riku lept in the air and using his flowmotion, spun on a nearby broken pole to land various strikes before leaping off it and making a mightly slam with his keybalde.

Kairi slid next to him, the boy vaulting over her and she landed a volley of light magic at the largest heartless, it's pirate-like body slowly vanishing. With the heartless taken out, the team gave each other hi-fives, rather, Riku and Kairi did. Jack just slugged down a bottle of ale he got out of nowhere, throwing it at the only heartless less upon finishing it, making the poor sap vanish in the dust of black smoke. "Well lass, you led a fine trip this marrow." Jack cracked his neck, putting away his sword and walking toward the anchor. "Chop chop, we don't have long before this hunk of wood sinks to Davey."

"Huh, you never change, do you?" Jack's eyes twitched, the man's voice seeming… Similar for some reason. Jack turned around, his hand firmly on his trusty sword. Riku and Kairi entered a battle stance, keybaldes ready to tear this intruder apart. The man whistled, leaping heroically in front of them. "Gotta make my introduction grand for my pals, right Jack?"

Riku and Kairi grit their teeth, the man wore a black robe "We defeated you jerks!" Kairi hissed, pointing her keybalde at the man. He even backed up, hands waving in protest. "Don't act all innocent, _I'm sick _of you black robe wanna be's!" The man looked at Riku, seeing the keybalde master have a confident smirk, leaning on the weapon as if the black-robed figured wasn't a threat at all.

"I had enough of you people," Jack said firmly, his voice strained and exhausted suddenly. "Just bugger off will ye?" He then paused, something clicking in his mind; not many people are friendly with Jack Sparrow. Turning around, he joined Kairi and nearly stabbed the man. "Why do you sound like my mate Sora?"

Kairi and Riku didn't notice until Jack brought it up, but the man only laughed, flicking his fingers and sending Jack flying off the ship. Riku jumped into the water, trying to save Jack. Kairi was left alone with the man, her body shaking. "Don't listen to some drunk pirate master, would Sora do _this?_" He flicked his keybade and sent a wave of darkness at Kairi, but she blocked it with ease.

"Where. Is. Sora." Kairi demanded an answer, but the man simply snickered, as if she asked nothing. Sliding back, he flicked his hand, his keyblade changing form from a dark-version of the Kingdom Key into a grand sword similar to Cloud's Buster Sword. Green waves of energy came out of each strike, Kairi running and rolling to avoid each strike. She hissed in frustration, a green wave of energy striking her shoulder, nearly burning it if it wasn't for her pirate gear.

"Kairi!" Riku shouted, with her ship crashing into the one she was standing on. The black coat stumbled, falling on his knees. Kairi shook her head, running toward Riku and a half-awake Jack as she hopped onboard her ship. Upon landing, she screamed fire at the top of her lungs, with her crew blasting the ship to smithereens. She then flicked her keyblade and shot a powerful beam of light, fully taking advantage of her Princess of Heart inner-magic, the ship nothing but a pile of fire sinking into the sea.

She felt a wave of magic coat her body, with Riku using the last of his magic to heal Kairi of her wounds. Jack was huffing, his discolored teeth gritting. "My mate… I can't believe it…" Kairi walked over to Jack, somewhat limping from her tired state. "Lass, that sounded like him. And my ears never deceive."

"That makes no sense." Riku butted in, his own voice edged with annoyance. "Sora would never harm any of his friends." Jack raised an eyebrow, challenging Riku.

"Mate, you say darkness is tempting. Well, maybe you don't know your mate as well as you think." Jack groaned, his legs tired. "I need a drink. Would you be a darling and get me a bottle lass?" He looked at Kairi, face twitching in pure anger. She stormed into the storage room and rather than get a bottle for Jack, she decided to slug the entire thing down herself. Riku followed her, Kairi aware of his presence.

"That isn't Sora. I could feel his light, dim but still strong. That was _not_…" Riku put both hands on Kairi's shoulders, his eyes firm and focused. They were deathly silent, for a good moment, before Riku hissed in anger.

"It might be a copy of him, we've dealt with that before." Kairi nodded, but even a copy of Sora wouldn't act like that. "Sora trusts Jack, so I trust him too. That may not be our _friend _Sora, but that is _a _Sora and we need to be very careful." He let go of her, this adventure of theirs getting suddenly a whole lot more serious. "I can't tell Mickey yet… He wouldn't get it…" Sighing he just took a deep breath and left the room, collecting his thoughts.

"Sora… Please be okay." She took a deep breath and patted her cheeks. "Come on girl, you got a crew to get back to Port Royal." Opening the door, she manned the wheel once more, her eyes having a level of seriousness that Jack only frowned at.

* * *

Docking the ship, Kairi wished everyone off, with Elizabeth giving her a warm hug, wishing her luck on her adventure. But Jack walked in front of them, his mate Gibs nodding his head and walking back to the ship. "Lass… I don't know how right I am about…"

"Jack, you've been at sea for so long. If you saying that… Sora is in the dark, I will believe you." She flicked her hand, keyblade turning into a deadly rose form version of her Destiny's Embrace. "But that just means I have to shower him with light." Jack smiled, ruffling her pirate's hat and walking toward Riku.

"I know you've dabbled with that stuff lad, so watch over that lass, ya?" Riku nodded, shaking Jacks hand as the two went off into Port Royal's little shopping area. Kairi took some Munny out of her purse, buying two apples for herself and Riku. Her expression oddly peppy after hearing her boyfriend is now their latest foe. Riku, however, knew Kairi better than herself, sighing aloud.

"So, we are clearly not telling our friends what happened here?" Riku asked, with Kairi throwing an apple in the air and catching it.

"Nope." Kairi bit into it, munching at the sweet flavor. Riku fought the urge to smirk at her. "That's not Sora, well, not the one we're looking for. If we encounter the jerk again, our keyblades are itching for some action." Riku nodded, resting his hands inside his oddly spacious pirate jacket pockets. But a part of Riku was simply impressed with the girl walking next to him right now.

Sure, Kairi has always had a bit of an edge deep down underneath her niceness and somewhat quiet voice. _Maybe it was Sora's passing, that lead to her stepping up. _He thought to himself, recalling his own clash with darkness… Twice, leading to drastic changes in his attitude. What was once a moody teen with a lot of trust issues, wound up being a keyblade master in the span of three years. Seeing Kairi walking like the powerful warrior she could become, Riku just smiled, hoping that the strange encounter won't be a common thing going forward.

* * *

Throwing some leaves, Riku and Kairi wiped some sweat from their heads. Walking around in pirate gear puts some extra weight on a person. Just as they were going to hop in the ship and head off to the next world, cannon fire got their attention. Screams were oddly loud, making Kairi rush toward the noise. Riku bit his lip, wondering what was going on. They saw everyone run into their homes in panic, heartless running around Port Royal in clusters. Kairi and Riku looked at each other, seeing the split paths. They nodded and split up, Riku heading toward the cannons and bell tower, Kairi rushing toward the main town.

"Lass! Glad you didn't bail on ye just yet." Jack said good-naturedly, slashing a small heartless clean in half. Next to him was Elizabeth using a sword of her own, blocking various strikes from slightly larger heartless. In the background, was Gibs and Barbosa teaming up to fend off heartless trying to storm the docks. "Any ideas on what happened?"

"I don't know, Riku and I were just going to leave," Kairi answered, Rose Keybalde in hand and itching for some action. Dashing into some heartless, the rose at the tip spun, as if it was a chainsaw, moving fast with each strike. Jack threw some bombs at Kairi, with the keyblade wilder hitting them in the air and using Firega magic to make them explode into fireworks. Elizabeth slid next to Kairi, the two nodding. They were back-to-back, attacking and defending at the right moments. Splitting apart when a big hearts rolled its way toward them, Kairi jumped on top of it, using it as if it was a giant ball. Kicking it into the sea, a big heart slowly floated from the watery abyss.

Looking around for any source of the heartless, the cannon fire erupted from the cannon tower. Kairi saw Riku rushing toward her, pointing to the sea. "I haven't seen one that big in a very long time…" Riku said awestruck, Kairi nodding dumbly in agreement. A massive heartless the size of five buildings roared, having no eyes whatsoever and jaw having massive teeth glaring at the two. "How are we going to…" Kairi dashed into action, making Riku rub his temples. "Tell me the plan at least!"

"Just follow me!" She yelled, with Riku and Jack following. Elizabeth ran to Barbosa and Gibs, helping them fend off the remaining heartless at the dock before hopping in their ship.

* * *

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me…" The black-coated man hummed fondly, sitting in his newly-repaired ship. He's gotta thank the crab-lady for giving him some help despite being the 'bad guy' this time out. He frowned, seeing Riku and Kairi be so willing to believe Jack. What does that pirate know? Live through a generation or two in a box, _then _you can be so judgy. Looking through a very rusty Gummi Phone camera, he saw Kairi and Riku rushing toward the cannons, with the girl going… Inside the cannon? "Man, she's a crazy one."

Sighing at having to put the two down, he figured it would be for the best anyway. I mean, having a heart hurts, killing it helps deal with hard choices. Flicking his keyblade, he was going to be ready to fire when… Something was coming out of the cannon and it was heading his way?! Before the man could even cast a spell, Kairi landed on his ship, having a less-than-graceful landing. "Ouch…"

"First, you drown me at sea." The man huffed, getting none of Kairi's attention. "Then, you have the nerve to just _crash_ on my ship?! I had to collect five hundred crabs to use this thing! And it's not _fun_ collecting them, let me tell you…"

"Get off that wheel or I will make you, got it?" Kairi demanded, with the man putting up his hands and playing 'the victim' for a little while. Taking control of the ship, it glowed a radiant white light, making Kairi smirk. "Okay, now either help me destroy that heartless you summoned or get off my ship."

"_Excuse _me?" The man scoffed in an insulted tone. Kairi gave a look of indifference. "I'm the bad guy here. Sooo… I get to summon the evil monster to destroy that town and make Kingdom Hearts happy. Alright?"

"You are a Sora, correct?" The man stayed silent, folding his arms. "Sora loves me. So, that means I get a freebie on my first adventure." The man was going to raise his finger to disprove a point. "If you _aren't _a Sora, you have no reason to help me. So what are you going to do, Sora?"

"What if I'm not Sora." The man grew a gruff voice, darkness coating his figure, marching toward Kairi. "I could kill your pretty little face right here." He was inches away from her, the girl not even flinching. "...You should be scared."

"I'm not the damsel this time." She flicked her keyblade and sent a massive Aeroga blast, making the man fly. He was screaming 'Not this crap again!' as he landed somewhere in the ocean. Kairi felt her face form a smile as she controlled the ship just with her inner magic. A surge of power flew from her, into the ship and she made the massive object fly in the air.

* * *

Riku was on top of a flying heartless, having a hard time keeping its aim under control. Making basic shots on the creature as Elizabeth unleashed cannon fire and Jack fended off heartless near the bell tower, was making no dent in the heartless. "I knew launching her into that random ship was a bad idea, why did I listen to her?!" Riku hissed, forcing the groaning dragon-fly-something heartless to avoid a massive strike with from the giant heartless's fangs.

As if on cue, Kairi landed the ship right on the monster, leaping off said ship and focusing her magic into her keybalde. "Holy Light!" She sent a powerful magic blast to the ship, making it blow up into… A cluster of crabs? A few of them landed near Jack, making the pirate's eyes narrow. He held in a troubled through as Riku landed on the sold ground and Kairi joined him, through a bit more out of breath.

"Woah… You did great Kairi, that heartless is down for the count." Riku commented, with Kairi turning her eyes toward the massive heart escaping from the sea. Loud cheers were echoed from Elizabeth's ship and Kairi just fell on her knees, giving a happy smile before sleeping on Riku's leg. He blinked, looking at Jack who simply shrugged his shoulders. Picking Kairi up, Riku and Jack joined the others for clean up and some much-needed rest.

* * *

The man once more was sitting in the middle of the ocean, this time on a plank of wood. "Man, that didn't go according to plan at all…" His Gummi Phone rang, through his tone was semi-broken. Pressing the very-cracked screen, he saw Xigbar's face. "Take it you had just as much luck I did?"

"For our master, you sure fumble around a lot." Xigbar teased, the Master rolled his eyes, but it was unseen from his cloak. "Sora knows where he is and is exploring your little kingdom." The man snickered.

"Good, maybe he will learn a thing or two about friendship." Xigbar had a hard time holding in a laugh, making the Master snicker once more. "That Kairi girl is no pushover."

"Only because you have a soft spot for her, master." The master sighed as if agreeing with his student. "You going to the next world on their little adventure?" He shook his head, confusing Xigbar.

"I'm going to sit down in this endless sea and reflect on some things. You know, do master things." Xigbar frowned at his teacher but didn't argue; he's a master for a reason. "You keep an eye on our little student and make sure he's a good boy."

"Will do, though sick of babysitting him." He hung up the call, with the Master humming a tune to himself, enjoying the cool ocean breeze.


	4. Awakening

_**Hello everyone! I'm back at it again with another chapter and this is yet another new one. We see Sora explore Shybua and learn that it's not exactly what we thought it would be like. I'm going to respond to reviews at the end, but just know that I'm well aware of the characterization that KH3 portrayed it's cast like and I will be sure to keep that in mind for characters like Kairi and Sora. **_

* * *

Sora leaped away from a small heartless, shooting a large fira blast at the creature, ending it on sight, Wiping away some sweat, he just took in his surroundings, finally getting some grasp on the city he's in. _Really reminds me of Hiro's home, just a lot darker… _Rain continued falling, making Sora throw up his hood. _And rainny. _Walking through an alley, he remembered what Luxu told him; go this way to find a 'bad guy'. Sora scoffed at the comment, vaulting over a garbage can and continuing his stroll.

"The only bad I saw was _him_." Sora muttered aloud, hands resting behind his head. Neon lights from nearby buildings lit the streets, creating an atmosphere that was oddly relaxing despite the situation Sora found himself in. The Keyblade Hero looked behind him, imagining Donald scolding him for wandering around and Goofy having his iconic goofy laugh, following that up with a pretty logical point. _He always was the smart one of our little trio. _Getting out of the alley, he felt a rush of colorful light blind his vision before it cleared up.

"Woah…" Sora mouthed, looking around and suddenly seeing a buzzing city street. Shops were lit up, people and creatures walking in and out of them with large bags, and even some people clashing blades in the middle of the sidewalk. What confused Sora the most, was how _unique _everyone looked. No one person looked the same, making Sora fold his arms in amusement. Sora pushed through the crowd, saying 'Sorry' and 'Excuse Me' until he found a little slime creature, his face dumb and silly, running a shop. "You run this joint?" It said nothing, just making various gurgles. "...Alright, well do you have Hi-Potions?" Sora took out a large Munny Pouch, thankful he was able to save so much on his past adventure. _It feels nice starting a new journey with everything. _Sora smirked as he passed 200 Munny to the blue Slime, the creature giving Sora five Hi-Potions in return. Saying his thanks, Sora narrowed his eyes, trying to find a Moogle. _Those guys are normally around… _He found one, snapping his fingers and running toward him.

"Kappo! If it isn't Sora!" The little creature shouted, making Sora smile, meeting him at eye level. "Fancy seeing you here. I woke up here a few days ago and you would be surprised how much business I make!" Sora laughed but picked up on his words; he's been in this place for a while before Sora was yanked down here. _Mmm… _Deciding not to think much on it for the moment, he passes his keychains over to the Moogle. "You want me to polish up your keyblade, huh?"

"Kinda dropped in another adventure, so need to be ready." Sora took out a little pouch, having various synthesis materials. Taking the pouch, the Moogle did his magic and polished up his keychains, them having a nice shine to it. Sora passed him 100 Munny as thanks and wished him off, trying to figure out something new now; how is a castle out of some fantasy RPG in the center of a city?

Before Sora could even think on the thought, a loud roar got his attention. Everyone in the shopping center looked up, seeing a massive four-winged dragon flying around said castle. The roar sent items flying, with Sora spotting a little girl going with them. "Oh no, you don't!" Sora dashed into action, using his power of flowmotion to run across the wall, then using his air stepping, leaped from object to object before grabbing the girl mid-air. Using his limited gliding, he gently landed her in the crowd, looking for her mother. The mother took the child and said her thanks before running off, Sora smiling back. He saw other… Heroes helping people out. A young woman with a ponytail and torn up jeans used a pick-ax to defend a group from a heartless, while a man in cybernetic armor made a shield with his arm to help out the young woman. Sora looked at them, giving a small nod before leaping in the air and facing the dragon head-on.

Sora grits his teeth soon though, seeing a storm of heartless flying around the dragon. "Oh come on!" He used his air-stepping to land on a heartless, memories fighting the massive sea heartless in the Carrabian playing in his mind. Getting the little heartless to be his make-shift ship, Sora bobbed and waved through gunfire, shooting them all down before the dragon's roar made the heartless vanish… The very one he was riding on. "Simba would be so proud…" Sora joked as he free fell, his blue eyes trying to find _anything_ he could air-step too. As if on cue, a sword struck the dragon, making it hiss in pain. _Thank you luck! _Sora air-stepped toward the blade and held on for dear life as the dragon tried shewing Sora off.

"Hey! Knock it off or I have to beat you up with my keyblade dragon!" Sora shouted, getting no response. Rather, he heard it crying in pain, making Sora frown. "No… Darkness is controlling you…" Sora nodded, an idea forming in his head. Leaping off the dragon, he spun his kingdom key around and shot a beam of light at the dragon, making it freeze on sight. A giant heart slowly came out of it, drenched in darkness. To Sora's surprise, the heart shot itself toward him, making the boy fall toward the ground, eyes dull from the rush of power flowing through his body.

* * *

Sora slowly opened his eyes, vision making him… See what he considered to be a frequent stop on the start of all his new adventures. A glass mural, with his face in the center and various images of his friends and loved ones surrounding him. "Why… Why am I here again?"

The image on the mural started changing, making Sora instantly summon his keyblade. "You think that all these adventures are going to be fun and games?" A dark, but familar, voice taunted him. Sora narrowed his eyes, remembering who this was. Putting away his keyblade, he let Vanitas show himself. "...Not going to fight me, huh?"

"Why fight myself?" Sora asked, his darker brother chuckling at the poor joke. Sora looked at the shifting mural, seeing both himself and Vanitias as if they were reflections of one another. "Is this…"

"You finally accepting the deep darkness that's sleeping inside you." Vanitas finished, Sora's face having a blank expression. To Sora's surprise, Vanitias put a hand on his shoulder. "I… I get why you bathe in light."

"I can't anymore," Sora said somberly, his friends and loved ones so far away from him. Clenching his heart, he… He couldn't _feel _them, or just a faint connection to them at a minimum. "But I can't lose myself to darkness."

"Who's saying you have to?" Vanitias asked, arms folded and expression stern. Sora tilted his head in confusion, with his darker copy sighing. "You really are dumb… Best friends with a 'master' of darkness and you still don't get it."

Memories of Riku using various dark magic and skills played in Sora's mind, with said memories playing on screens surrounding Vanitias and Sora. The former just pointed to the screen, his face forming a smirk. "You can master darkness like you have light, but you have to accept it's in you."

Sora looked at his hand, feeling the rush of power from earlier coursing through him. "If it means I can be with Kairi again…" He clenched his fist, looking at Vanitias and nodding. The boy gave a warm smile, holding out his hand. Sora shaking it, the two joined together, whole once more.

"_Remember, I'm your shadow and a REAL master of darkness. Always know that, brother." _Vanitas' voice went silent, with Sora feeling his presence not unlike Roxas when he was part of his heart. As if summoned, a cluster of small heartless appeared before Sora, staying still and unmoving. Sora looked at his hand, summoning his keyblade, but the monsters didn't even twitch like they usually do. He pointed the weapon on a spot, with the monsters scurrying to where Sora was pointing. His eyes went wide. "I… I'm commanding them?" The monsters vanished, with light slowly evaporating everything in sight.

* * *

"I think he needs a shock to wake up…" A gruff voice suggested. A scoff from a british-sounding woman was heard, sighing at the man across from her.

"The boy needs to wake up first, not get killed." She scolded. Sora slowly got up, his rubbing his tired head. "Good to see you're awake." Sora rubbed his eyes, letting the light around him adjust to his vision.

"What happened?" Sora asked, the woman folding her arms and giving the side-eye to the man next to her. He sighed and fiddled with his black robotic arms.

"You defeated that dragon monster and a series of black creatures brought to my clinic." He answered, fixing his seemingly robotic sunglasses. "I didn't ask to be roped into this Lara…"

"Me neither but here we are Adam." She harshly stated, with Adam sighing. Turning to Sora, she knelt down and met him at eye level. "You are a hero like us stuck here, aren't you?"

Sora felt the pieces coming together; the busy streets and odd-looking people roaming around? This breaks so many rules of Order, that Donald would faint. "Yeah, I guess so. I tried saving my friend and I wound up here."

"Well, I know someone who helps stragglers when they first crash here." Lara passed Sora a card, it showing familiar name. _Joshua? Oh! _Sora remembered him from the 'experience' that was his Mark of Mastery. _He seemed pretty smart. _Noticing Sora's smile, Lara ruffed his hair and walked off. "Don't get yourself into trouble kid, not helping you out again."

Adam just turned to Sora, passing him a holographic card. "What a... " He didn't finish his thought. "If you need help, just tap this card and you will be healed. For a price, of course." He noticed Sora's arms and weapon. "I could upgrade your body, but take it you aren't into argumentation."

"Thanks but no thanks," Sora said with a smile. Adam nodded, a smirk worming its way on his face. "I will keep in touch though. Keep your friend safe!" Sora ran off before Adam would correct him.

* * *

Sitting on the steps of his castle, Yozora frowned. Why does it take so long for a blade to rematerialize? He held out his hand for a good two hours, with nothing… A thud crashed into his open palm, the prince blinking. "Well, that works." Putting his weapon away with magic, he looked in the distance, wondering if this Sora kid will show up or not. "Joshua told me he's the key to getting my kingdom back." He looked up at the sky and frowned at the clustered mess his home became.

"You know, I could kick you off my stoop, stoop boy." A man in a black robe uttered, folding his arms. Yozora hissed in frustration but simply held his crossbow on his lap.

"_I'm _the prince of this kingdom. And I want my wife back." He pointed the gun right at the man's face, but he simply tisked as if Yozora did something stupid.

"You will get her back, only if you keep being a good boy." Yozora let his rage overtake him, turning around and throwing his blade at the man, but a swift block of a black keyblade blocked the attack. "Oh, you want to actually _challenge _me now?"

"I already DID!" Yozora hissed, shooting magic-arrows at the hooded black man, only hitting his hood. Exposing Luxu's face, the keyblade wilder smirked, leaping in the air and landing on the very top of Yozora's castle. "Face me!"

"You need to make some friends first buddy." Luxu finished, leaving Yozora alone to his thoughts. Deciding waiting around for Sora was stupid, he decided to head over to his hideout instead.

* * *

_**prince of underbrush - A lot of what you said about the Master of Masters is something I really wanted to run with, so glad we are on the same page too :). It's so much fun writing him and Xigbar, the latter being a favorite of mine. Kairi though is a character I honestly feel the KH series doesn't do much with despite how 'important' she is to the grand story. You have a princess of light (and recent Disney Princess's, ones in KH3, having a ton of agency to prove this) that could fight back and has been training in a time bubble... Just get given the cold shoulder like that? Come on... I get what Namora is shooting for but it still wasn't good pay off for her. So that's why I made her have such agency here; to make her the hero she should be.**_

_**redlox2 - Thank you for the kind words! And your comments on Chapter 3 are pretty good. You got a sharp eye ;). **_

_**The StarsShadow15 - Thank you for the kind words! I feel like writing a good in-character reaction to Sora's passing is... Tricky. Cause you could have Kairi be a crying mess, angry person that hates everyone or a mixture of both. But none of that really is in-character, you need to have realistic reactions. I hope I got that across. **_

_**Sentinel07 - Thank you for reading! Yeah, I have some issues with grammar/spelling that a good year or so into writing fan-fiction (was in the Star VS scene for a while before jumping over here). It's always been my weak spot, so working on that. But your comments on Kairi's personality in chap three, I wanted to address something. Kairi is a character that could develop in one of three ways post KH3; continues being the damsel character that 'shows up with the keyblade when it matters', be a supporting role to Riku on his quest to find Sora in KH4, or use her own failings to drive her forward like what happened to both Riku (Chain of Memories/KH2) and Sora (Dream Drop Distance/KH3). I think the third choice is the most interesting and while yes, I did make her a bit too aggressive, you gotta remember she lost her boyfriend for not being strong enough. It's going to take a bit before she finds herself again and strikes a balance. Trust me, I've learned how not writing in-character can lead to pretty questionable writing (cough a fair number of my Star Vs fics cough). **_

_**ThePsychoPath96 - Then this chapter is what you ordered :). **_


	5. Tangled Encounters

_**Hello everyone, back at it again with another chapter. And if you remember my one shots, just know that ideas from them are coming back, but not 'exactly' told in the same way. Tangled is a flim that got a damn good cartoon, so if you are a fan of the show like I am, you will be happy what I set up here. Review responses at the end like always. **_

* * *

Kairi soundly sleeping in the backseat, Riku gently steered the ship. After wishing Jack and company luck on finding treasure, they ventured off to see other worlds. But Riku turned toward Kairi's sleeping form. _She looks so much like Namine when she sleeps… _Riku pondered, imaging his girlfriend soundly sleeping like a rock while he was making them breakfast. The smile that wormed its way on his face lingered before he sighed and turned around. _But us facing another Sora?_ Riku didn't even question what they witnessed; strange and seemingly stupid situations were nothing new to the keyblade master.

Riku scoffed at the idea of an old man making copies of himself to summon the power of Kingdom Hearts, but that actually _did _happen, so literally, anything could happen and Riku wouldn't even blink. _Guess why I handled that news as well as I did. _Feeling his chest, memories of his Replica lingered, with Riku wondering honestly if his newfound feelings for Namine were his own or the Replica's that he simply passed onto Riku. _Not that I mind. _Riku smirked, really connecting with the quiet girl.

But as he maneuvered away from a cluster of rocks and heartless, Riku wondered where they should head next. Kairi would have picked the location but Riku didn't want to wake her. He pulled out his Gummi Phone and looked through the worlds Sora encountered. He really is impressed with that cricket, he wrote down _everything_ and his notes on everyone really helped Riku out when everyone returned. _I can imagine myself and Terra being good friends. _The image of a tall man using a keybalde the size of a truck was imposing. He sighed in relief knowing Terra is back on their side once more.

"S-Sora…" Kairi muttered her sleep, voice sounding distressed. Riku bit his lip, slowly turning his chair around and watching her. "Don't let the darkness in…" He frowned at the comment, surprised his best friend, wherever he was, is not being careful enough. "...It smells strong…" Riku just couldn't hold in a laugh at her comment, the girl slowly opening her eyes. "Riku? Why aren't we in a ship?"

"We had to abandon our post, captain, got a quest to complete." Riku jokes, resting his arms on the armrests. Kairi mouthed an 'oh' and rubbed her head. "But that was some really impressive magic, blowing up a ship like that. Is it because of your new keyblade?"

Kairi looked at her hand, summoning her Rosethorn, eyes looking at the weapon in slight confusion, before memories of the spinning chain-saw like rose popped in her mind. "I guess I channeled some of my inner magic and my keybalde reflected my thoughts." She flicked her hand, it turns back into Destiny's Embrace. "Wonder why that happened…"

"Sora got the power to transform his keyblade from the clothes Yen Sid made for him, so I'm guessing your clothes gave you similar powers," Riku suggested, with Kairi blinking. "Or, your connection to Sora also gives you some of his powers."

"Huh…" Kairi thought on Riku's suggestion but decided to just stand up and watch the endless space around them. "So, what world are we visiting next?"

"I was thinking, maybe we should help the other lights," Riku suggested, with Kairi sitting back down, face thoughtful. Riku leaned forward, hands clasped together. "I mean, you _are _one of them. Maybe seeing the other lights will trigger something. We don't have much to go off of in finding Sora. Following our hearts will just lead to us being lost like he was."

Kairi nodded, though winced at how Riku more or less called Sora stupid. As if picking up his comment, Riku turned around and looked at the ship's controls. "He wasn't stupid to go after me like…"

"Yes he was, and I don't mind that." Riku interrupted, not turning around. "But he would be here still if he wasn't so reckless, wouldn't he?" Kairi didn't respond, but neither did Riku. The two just stayed silent before they sighed in unison. "I respect his choices, always had, but doesn't mean I don't regret letting him leave like that." Kairi was about to say something but Riku put his hand up. "Don't you dare say sorry, it's not your fault things went down the way they did. Come on, put a smile and think of a world." Riku's expression grew a playful smile, making Kairi giggle.

She put a hand on her chest, trying to reach out to her fellow lights. So many shades of warmth coated her senses. She felt four unique sensations, each one stranger than the last. One was of a blond girl with heart marks fighting odd monsters, another was two sisters seemingly training for something, while another was of a little girl racing. The last one felt the strongest, with Kairi opening her eyes and nodded. "Kingdom of Corona."

Riku looked at the Gummi Phone and made a 'huh' sound, seeing that very location on the said phone. Punching in directions, the two flew toward the world and braced themselves for another adventure.

* * *

In a laboratory, deep within a town, a young man with goggles was hard at work picking at a glowing golden crystal. Surrounding him was various test tubes and chemicals, showing him for the mad scientist he was. But he just groaned in frustration, looking through a microscope and seeing a single strand of blond hair slowly turn to brown. "Why isn't this working!" He was so tempted to throw said microscope on the ground, but he couldn't, it was his father's. Taking a deep breath, taking off his goggles revealing somber brown eyes.

He looked at the giant crystal before him, seeing within it, a man. One that looked tired and sick. "Dad… I won't disappoint you again. I will free you." Clapping was heard in the background, with Varian turning around and then holding his staff, chemicals oozing from the top of it. "W-Who are you? How did you find me?!"

He was thinking it was the castle guards, angered they started attacking them after their princess _willingly _helped him for his cause. Just thinking of her made him grit his teeth, with the black hooded man before Varian backing away in surprise fear. "Woah kid, take it easy…" He walked up to Varian, gently pushing the staff down with his black glove… The chemicals burning through his glove and exposing skin. Giving the boy an annoyed look, he eventually threw off his hood. The boy's eyes went wide like dinner plates, this man was a _hero_!

"S-Sora!? I heard about you! You helped the princess and her boyfriend! You can help me!" Varian went completely from 'crazed killer' too 'friendly face'. Master of Masters kept his hood off, brown spiky hair somewhat disheveled. Varian noticed the Master touching the crystal with his gloveless hand, harshly frowning. "Yeah… My dad is in there. After…" He couldn't bear to say aloud how _he _caused this to happen and how his _friends _refused…

"I know how to get him out of here." Master of Masters said firmly, getting Varian to run up to the man. Someone was helping him! But after feeling betrayed by friends in the past, Varian readied his staff, ready to make this friendly face pay if he was lying. Telling the situation at hand, Master of Masters turned around and took off his robe, letting it rest on a nearby chair. Varian noticed this 'Sora' looking so… Battle-hardened, scars running all over his arms. His outfit was all black, a simple slightly torn red hoodie covering a black undershirt. What got Varian's attention was the large scar running down his face, covering bright blue eyes, conveying a sense of sadness beneath their seemingly bright exterior. "Yeah, I can get what you're going through kid. Better than you can imagine." 'Sora' sat down in the chair he put his coat on, hand rubbing a tired face. "Just woke up after the longest nap and gotta say, I had my fair share of long snoozes."

"So you are really going to help me?" 'Sora' sighed, making Varian frown. "I take that as a no then…" 'Sora' put up his hand, making the boy grow silent.

"Why are you such a downer? I mean I _get _why, but ease up a bit." 'Sora' flicked his hand, the kingdom key landing in his palm. "I can free him, you just need the power of waking." He made his keyblade vanish, giving Varian a dark frown. "But waking means, you give yourself up to help others. And I just can't do that right now, not when I have to ensure something goes right." 'Sora' put both his hands on Varian's shoulders, giving a firm look. "I will help you, but we need to… Get others to use waking, if you catch my drift."

Varian saw how serious this man was, his eyes showing someone trustworthy. His monstrous pet Ruddiger showed up, a raccoon that after an 'accident', turned into a beast that would rival any huge heartless. It was going to strike Sora, but the man simply flicked his keyblade, sending the 'pet' flying and crashing into a crate. Varian looked at horror, then glared at 'Sora'. "...He attacked you first, so willing to let this slide."

"Sorry bout that, don't like being snuck up on." 'Sora' laughed good-naturedly, his toothy smile infectious. Varian smiled back and used some of his chemicals to heal Ruddiger. "So, we need to meet an old friend of ours first." 'Sora' looked near the open window, seeing a tall tower before him. "And I know just what will draw her out."

* * *

Landing the Gummi Ship and using a cloaking device that Riku _just _told Kairi about, they hopped out of the ship and saw a massive castle in the distance. Kairi couldn't help but look at the vast horizon of flowers and nature in pure awe. "Riku… This place is beautiful…"

"It sure is…" Riku closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "Man… The flowers smell so nice. Sure beats the Dark Realm's smelly sands." The two slowly walked through the vast forest, wondering where Rapunzel's tower was. The Gummi Phone did mention that being around here nearby, with the map Sora and Donald charted being quite detailed.

As if answering their unsung request, a cluster of heartless appeared to be chasing a man running on top of a barrel. "Hello!" He passed by Riku and Kairi. "Goodbye!" Behind the heartless were two young women, one with short brown hair with a sword and a girl with blond hair that seemed endless. The former leaped in the air and made a clean slash through two heartless, while the later used her hair as a lasso and collected the remaining ones, before throwing them in the air, them landing in a cluster of light.

"Nice job." The brown-haired woman smirked, with the blond girl laughing. She saw Riku and Kairi, keyblades in hand. "Wait… Are they a threat too?" She drew her blade, with Riku standing in front of Kairi. Rapunzel ran up to the two, pulling them into a warm hug. "Huh… I get you are friendly but they might…"

"Sora's friends!" Rapunzel shouted. "These are heroes I told you about Cass!" She let go of them, with Kairi smiling and Riku coughing to settle his nerves. "But you aren't Sora… And you clearly aren't like Donald or Goofy…"

"Sidekicks?" Eugine peeked out from behind the tree, frying pan in hand. "Well, it's been a while since we saw you guys." He noticed Riku and Kairi _not _looking like a talking duck or dog. "Huh, guess you are Sora's sidekicks."

"We are _heroes_, buddy." Riku pointed his keyblade at Eugine, the man holding up his hands. Then Riku noticed a ring on his finger, eyes drifting to Rapunzel's hand, seeing one similar. "Ah, so you are the prince of this place." Riku flicked his keyblade away, holding out his hand. "Frying pan though?"

"You know, this bad-boy took out its fair share of heartless." Cass scoffed, earning a 'what?!' expression from Eugene. "Don't mind miss moody over there, she's Blondie's bodyguard."

"And _best friend_, Flynn." Cass chastised. Eugine rolled his eyes and let Cass study Riku and Kairi. Her eyes drifted to Kairi in particular, seeing her weapon in hand. "You are looking for someone." Kairi blinked, surprised this stranger picked up her sadness like nothing.

"How did…" Rapunzel walked up to Kairi, having a worried look on her bright face. "Did you guys see Sora here? He…" Kairi bit her lip, unsure what to say. World Order is important, Donald drilled that into everyone's head so much, Riku wanted to strangle the duck sometimes. But Kairi looked at her fellow Princess of Light's eyes, seeing such warmth in them. "He's gone." Riku blinked, unsure what to respond with, Kairi just looked at her feet, them being interesting for some reason now.

"How could he be gone?" Eugine asked, folding his arms.

"And why is her hair long again?" Riku asked, remembering the Gummi Phone saying Eugine cut her hair to save Rapunzel from Gothel.

"We both got a lot to catch up on, so how about we have some lunch in my tower?" Rapunzel suggested, trying to keep a happy face in the clearly depressed mood from Riku and Kairi. Everyone nodded and followed the peppy princess to her other home. Unaware to all of them, as a man in a black robe silently cursing at Riku and Kairi being here.

"Plans are going well but…" He sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "Alright, let's do this."

* * *

_**redlox2 - Good eye on the details. And regarding Andrendle, I have plans for that after seeing the recent Frozen 2 Teaser Trailer. And I'm pretty excited to play around with that. In fact, a lot of the worlds/characters I plan to use are decided upon for this story, so it's just a matter of figuring out how some story beats will go. Really excited about Corona, Andrendle and another one that I'm sure fans of my past fan-fiction will be hyped about.**_

_**prince of underbrush - While I told you PM's my stance on how liberal I will be with worldliness, I might stretch that a bit more with two characters/series that after further thinking, would work GREAT off Sora. When you see it, you will get why ;). Sora interacting with famous heroes in gaming history and connecting with them on similar adventures is a great idea. I will play with that, don't you worry. **__**And yeah, the Master of Masters is a ton of fun to write, so bringing him back this chapter was fun. **_

_**blackpackager - Yes, Xigbar is sick of babysitting Sora :'). But he does have fun messing with teenage heroes, maybe he should make a living off it. But your suggestion about the princess's of light interacting with Kairi is a major plot thread I'm addressing, so you will be happy :). **_

_**Sentinel07 - I know you weren't being harsh, but I do take feedback seriously, writing Star Vs Fan-Fiction and getting some harsh reviews time-to-time (in addition to just reading other fan-fiction in general) has me a lot more willing to take feedback seriously and comment on that, so you're good, don't worry :). And I do explain Kairi's new keyblade here, so questions answered :P. Sora's story is going to be an emotional rollercoaster, so I'm hyped for that too. **_


	6. Enter the Foretellers

_**Hello everyone! I'm making a short little chapter as an intermission, but also to finally introduce the other Foretellers into the story. Reason it took this long? I needed to learn more about them. See, I did watch the Back Cover Movie (which honestly is pretty damn solid) when it came out but I honestly forgot a lot of the personalities of each Foreteller. So, after seeing that and using good ol' Wikipedia, I'm caught up on how to write them. So hopefully I wrote them in-character. Speaking of characters, you get hints at characters Sora will encounter and one of the worlds Kairi and Riku will venture too later on here, so keep an eye out ;). **_

* * *

"You call that a sword strike?!" A loud cry was uttered, a young man clad in a green tunic wincing at the voice's ferocity. "Land your strike with more force." The young man in green nodded, trying once more against this loud man. Wearing a strange, almost ancient bear mask and a golden robe, he held his keybalde firm as the young man kept attacking. The bear-masked man pondered why he was even helping this odd kid, remembering his Master… Which went by the name Sora now for some reason, telling him to venture into the massive sleeping world to keep tabs on his younger self.

_...I hate time travel. _Aced thought to himself, his rage at how much torment himself and his fellow Foretellers went through just for his master's plan. Or existence. Aced even with a copy of his master's complete, which the bear-masked keyblade master made _sure _was the truth this time, dream journal, he couldn't fully understand what his master wanted. Sighing at his thoughts, he pushed the young man he was training with a skillful push of his weapon. "That's enough for now." He said in a bold voice, with the young man huffing from exhaustion. He gave a thankful smile, leaving through the dojo's door.

Aced sat down on a nearby stool, pleased with the little hovel he made for himself. A proper training dojo for heroes of all kinds, making his quest to end the darkness easier in his eyes. It brought back memories of him running his Union, though it wasn't a completely joyful memory.

"Surprised the master told you to find his younger self down here," Ira commented, his unicorn mask still large and noticeable no matter where he went. The second-in-command sat next to his friend, with Aced smiling back at him. "Though the master telling me to keep an eye on you seems pointless. We need to spread ourselves if we are to train his younger self and find Ava."

"I agree, though it's nice to have us on the same level for once." Aced commented, pleased that another 'traitor' situation won't ever happen again. Just remembering how _stupid _he acted made the keyblade master groan. Ira just laughed good-naturedly, telling his friend yet again, that he forgave him for the mess that happened eons ago.

"At least Gula and Invi are looking for Ava in the realm of light, though I wonder why the Master isn't having a more careful eye on his younger self." Ira pondered aloud, finger tapping his chin. He remembered from reading the dream journal through-and-through, that Sora went through _a lot _in this strange dreaming world. And hearing Luxu complain about how babysitting the master was 'one convoluted mess after the other', he seriously wondered why the Master wasn't being more hands-on here.

"I suppose it's to do with his friends in this worldine," Aced suggested, making Ira blink in surprise. "What? I'm smart like you." Ira smirked, making Aced make a gruff and folding his arms. Knocking was heard, getting the duo's attention. "Come in, future student!"

"You really like being the teacher, huh?" Ira teased but Aced completely ignored him. Coming inside the building was a young man wearing strange attire. He donned a white mask, his eye having an air of playfulness, not unlike his master. As if reading Aced's thoughts, the young man laughed, flexing his red gloves instinctually.

"I'm here to find someone." The young man's face grew a proud smirk, making Aced itch for his keybalde feeling a challenge before him. "I was told, you two are part of a 'team' and said team, is the reason I'm in this city." The young man leaned on a wall, oddly long dagger spinning on his finger playfully. "Now, I stole a lotta hearts on my way here, from black creatures not unlike the ones from my own home." He caught his blade and frowned. "But I have friends to save and I _know _one of you two have answers."

Ira folded his arms, anger clearly forming on his face but he bit his tongue. "Now, you must be mistaken. We are just a simple dojo in Shybua training future heroes to battle the darkness. If you want training, please, sit down and my friend…" He paused, seeing a odd blue fire emanating from the young man. "I take it you are going to fight us."

"No, _I'm _going to fight him Ira." Aced offered, cracking his neck. "I always love a challenge. Come at me, fellow hero!" The young man smirked dangerously and shouted at the top of his lungs 'Persona!' before charging into battle.

* * *

Rolling away from a massive colorful Narwhal, Invi grit her teeth. "Why are you helping Eclipsa?" A young girl with radiant red hearts glowing on her cheeks shouted. She blasted more creatures out of her hands, as a red-hooded boy blocked a keybalde strike from Gula using a nearby-ax.

"You aren't in charge here anymore, so stand down," Invi said firmly, remembering what the odd queen promised her and Gula. They explored this… _Creative _kingdom, as kindly as Invi can put it, to find her sister Ava. The Queen, by the name Eclipsa, promised them to help using her innate dark magic. As a warrior of light, she wasn't sure how wise of an idea this was, but when her master said 'Why not trust the lady with tainted purple hands?', she figured why not. Her life has been filled with insanity anyway, why question things?

"I don't know why these guys are with Eclipsa, but we gotta back off Star!" The red-hooded boy declared, pushing Gula back. "We can't face them right now." Star hissed in frustration, but the pain from the fight was getting too much for her. Memories of her mom calling for her in the realm of magic… She shook her head, quickly forming a magic blade out of thin air and charging into Invi.

"I'm not giving up Marco! Not when we are so close to finding my mom!" Star shouted, rolling toward Marco's side after Invi blocked her attack. She paused, with Gula mirroring her. Star glared at the two, folding her arms. "What? You masked-weirdos giving up?!"

Gula simply sighed and made his weapon vanish. "We are looking for a friend, not picking fights with princesses. Come on Invi, we can look for Ava elsewhere in this world." Invi kept her weapon out, before sighing herself. She turned and walked off, leaving Star and Marco alone in complete confusion.

Making some distance from the couple, Gula elbowed Invi. "What was that? Picking fights with one of the new princesses? The master never asked for…"

"She reminded me of Ava. A lot." Gula paused, feeling similar vibes from the girl. Someone so sweet but when loved ones were in danger? She would be the first to draw a blade to your neck. Gula remembered how torn she was prior to the keyblade warrior but during that? What a force… Luxu even mentions he nearly died by her blade before she vanished, making him wince.

Invi just took a deep breath and sighed. "This world… Has another realm that might be the key to finding Ava. We need to keep looking." Gula nodded, following his fellow Foreteller as they braved the strange Mewni forests before them.

* * *

The Master of Masters as sipping down a Hi-Potion, enjoying the oddly tangy taste it offered. Taking one of the nearby flowers, he crushed it up and put it within the potion, adding a lemon flavor to it for whatever reason. "This is the life…" He leaned on a nearby tree, enjoying the lovely breeze Corona offered. The world was one of his favorites to explore back in the day, it being a mirror to his island home. Same kind of beauty, but just with a lot more natural and less endless oceans staring back at you.

He fondly smiled, remembering how _filled with joy _his students felt when he came out of that black box. Invi glaring daggers at him, Gula and Luxu not-being-subtle-at-all about their displeasure with really _hurtful _comments, and who could forget Aced nearly killing him. Ah, what a wake-up call. At least Ira was the least hostile, making the Master pleased he chose him as the second-in-command.

A warm breeze gently brushed against his spiky brown hair, through he wince touching his face. "Put your eye back in after decades of it being out for so long… Not fun." Sighing, he sipped his potion some more, the healing juices coursing through his body. He frowned, wondering what his younger self was feeling right now. He remembers those feelings vividly; anger at not being with the ones you love, isolation settling in for the first time in his life, and longing. Deep, powerful longing for light. Sora frowned, looking at his gloved hands, remembering accepting the darkness inside him for the first time. "I wonder… If he's handling things better than I did."

Hearing footsteps, the man threw up his hood and slid into the shadows, letting his thoughts vanish for the time being. Kairi and Riku, alongside three other figures, joined them. The man blinked seeing the brown-haired woman with a sword. Rapunzel didn't have a bodyguard with them when he helped her out… Then again, she _is _a proper princess now; having protection is important.

He closed his eyes, thinking of what kind of heartless he could summon to test his good ol' friends. Something small? Nah, that's too easy. A massive one? That's overkill this early on. Remembering the reindeer in his trip to that _lovely _icy mountain, he nodded to himself, holding out both of his hands and focusing on his inner darkness. A shadow appeared before the man, looking at his master with intent. "Go hide in that tower and pop out when those guys show up." The shadow nodded, slinking into the grass and entering the tower. Smiling at his handy work, he was about to leave when he heard Kairi and Repunzel talking.

"Woah, that's beautiful…" Kairi commented, seeing the tower before her eyes. The Master of Masters watched her take in the beauty of the thing, something he himself was drawn by when he saw it originally. Seeing Kairi stand tall, like a proud hero, made the man bit his lip.

"It was my prison for a good chunk of my life, buuuuuut… It's still my second home." Repunzel said with a chipper tune. The two ran up to it, with the Master rubbing his neck.

"No second thoughts, you got a plan to complete good sir." He told himself. Making a cordor of darkness, he walked into it to meet up with his latest friend. One that he both feels sorry for and wants to bash in the head with his keybalde for making inane choices.

* * *

_**Some background knowledge for things I mentioned here. **_

_**\- The worldlines are fully opened in the sleeping world of Shibuya, resulting in characters across gaming being able to join in. I'm keeping it with realistic/fitting choices that I feel will add to the story, not just random characters for no reason. There IS a reason Link from Majora's Mask and Joker from Persona 5 are here, not because 'Oh man, that would be cool!'**_

_**\- Star Vs World takes place after S3 of the show, where Star isn't a 'real' princess anymore and her & Marco are exploring Mewni to find her mother Moon Butterfly. I will be sure to address the Star Vs stuff when we get to it, sorta a master with that series in fanfiction :P.  
**_

_**Now, on to review responses. You guys left a TON of reviews time out.**_

_**redlox2 - Oh yes, I will have the BBS Trio and The Twilight Town Gang have moments, as they are important characters in the series. The big reason they aren't actively helping Kairi and Riku yet is cause they just got some peace and that they aren't being asked to help them. We got characters that would be more than willing to help out heroes if needed. **_

_**NaruSaku fan in Kentucky - I'm excited to have interactions between them, so don't you worry bout that.**_

_**blackpackager - Lol, that is pretty funny :'). **_

_**Spartan719 - You will see them in action right now, so hope you enjoy how I write them.**_

_**Sentinel07 - See? You gotta trust me here, I can explain things :). But regarding your thoughts on Tangled, it's like Frozen in the sense it follows the film so closely, but I really loved the film and the game DID give you plenty of moments with the main cast (unlike Frozen, which I'm honestly annoyed with), so you did connect with the cast. It looking so close to the film was honestly impressive and with a great TV show to work with, I will really make that world fleshed out.**_

_**64thVanSull - I don't think we will get 'date chapters' or anything, but I will ensure each canon couple will have moments to shine. I even hinted at that with Xion and Roxas in chap 1 and how Namine acts around Riku in chap 1 as well. Aqua is paired with Terra, which that alone can lead to interesting story beats considering he was an evil fellow for most of the series. **_

_**prince of underbrush - I am a huge fan of the world of Star Vs, so that's a 'well duh' choice to play around with. Frozen and Wreck it Ralph are going to be fun worlds to dive into, more so the former with that sequel's teaser giving me a ton of ideas. But yeah, our good friend can't use waking willy-nilly. **_

_**H.R.C. Stanley - Thank you for the reviews! And your comments on the Master of Masters is a good eye ;). And the character I introduced in Chap 4 isn't a new character, he's a major character in the Tangled Cartoon. Again, I will make sure those who aren't aware of shows/IP's will be given a good idea on who's who.**_

_**TaitanoRules555 - Thank you for the kind words. And yes, grammar and spelling need work. It's something I am graudally getting better with, even a good two years after writing fan-fiction. So, hope you don't mind some odd issues here and there sometimes. **_


	7. Deadly Flower

_**Hello guys! And I'm back at it again with another chapter. I might take a day or so to craft these, so if uploads ever get slow, it's cause I'm sorting some ideas out. And I really had fun with working on a future chapter/scene, so can't wait to share that when it's the right time. Anyway, review round at the end and a surprise appearance await toward this chapters conclusion.**_

_**Edit - Thanks to Setinel for the points on some minor typos/mistakes, they should be patched up now.**_

* * *

Riku simply smiled seeing Kairi and Rapunzel climbing the tall tower together, his arms folded and imaging Sora in Rapunzel's place for a moment. "Man… This is a great view." Riku said aloud, with Eugine elbowing him. "What? It is, the tower looks…"

"It's nice seeing Blondie happy. Things have been a _bit _touch and go lately." Cass walked up to them, eyes rolling. Eugine simply sighed, throwing an arm around Riku's shoulder. "So… Is it true that one of my sidekicks is gone?"

Riku bit his lip but decided to just be honest. _Why not? These guys are Sora's friends too. _"Yeah, he tried saving everyone but couldn't save himself." Eugine just gave a somber expression, patting Riku's shoulder and his eyes looking at Kairi, seeing the girl use the Keyblade as a makeshift pickaxe. "Kairi is taking it the hardest if you couldn't tell."

"Poor girl…" He said aloud, but Cass just looked at Riku, her expression downcast. Seeing her somewhat annoyed expression, Eugine just gave her a look himself. "Annnnd sorry for your loss too, new sidekick."

"Oh, I dare you to call me that again, Pretty Boy." Riku teased, elbowing the man. Cass saw the two bicker as they followed Rapunzel and Kairi, her face twitching a fond smile. Just not that long ago, she remembered going on adventures with her best friend and her best friend's duffus, getting into all kinds of trouble. Looking at her blade, she frowned, remembering that she lost her title as a defender of the Princess. Taking a deep breath, she walked ahead, ignoring her inner worries so she could protect her friends. Something made her pause though, eyes darting around.

"Someone is here." She announced, with Eugine readying his frying pan and Riku brandishing his keybalde. Kairi and Rapunzel were in the tower, so they didn't notice a man in a black hood walking toward their friends. "You show yourself, good." She pointed her weapon at the hooded man. "Now, fight like a man!"

"I take it you are trying to be a man yourself? I had a friend who had to blend in and let me tell you…" The masked man summoned his kingdom key, making Riku grit his teeth. "That get up isn't helping." Eugine blinked at the man's voice, eye slightly raised. "Oh, nice to see you to Flynn."

"You… Know my name?" He blinked, pure confusion evident on his face before he snapped his fingers and made a good-natured grin. "Well, I'm a wanted man, so I'm kinda everywhere." The Hooded Man snickered, sighing at his old friend. Turning to Riku, both just glared at one another. Riku marched forward, pointing his keybladed at the hooded man.

"Why are you here?" Riku demanded, eyes narrowing like daggers. "It wasn't fun blowing you up at sea." Eugine and Cass looked at the two of them in confusion, telling some unsaid history is at work here. The hooded man simply folded his arms behind his back, casually walking around.

"While you three play 'Who is the Hooded Man and why is he here', I think you should check on your friends." As if on cue, Rapunzel fell out of her tower, with Kairi just barely catching her as a massive heartless reindeer charged out of the tower. Everyone but Riku dashed toward the falling princesses, with the hooded man smirking underneath his hood. "You aren't going to be the hero? I can understand Riku… It sorta sucks being that sometimes."

"Why are you doing this, Sora?" Riku asked, making Master Sora pause. The tone of his voice was so genuine, a tone Sora himself heard so often growing up. Actually being taken off guard, Master Sora just let his arms dangle to the sides before walking up to Riku, uncaring of the warriors brandished their weapons.

"Because…" He pushed Riku back with a pulse of dark magic, making him nearly stumble into Eugine. The two looked at the hooded man, with said man smiling back beneath his hood. "Some of you new friends here aren't showing their true colors. Gotta help a kid thaw out his dad, so have fun with my pet." Master Sora whistled, with the heartless rushing toward him. "Now, Olaf, be a good little heartless and fight those mean jerks, okay?"

It made a demonic bark for whatever reason, with Master Sora smiling. Walking in a corridor of darkness, Kairi helped Rapunzel up and used Cura to heal their wounds. "Him again?" Kairi groaned, with Riku nodding. Simply giving Riku a knowing grin, the two huddled together and stood before their new friends. Flicking her weapon, Kairi's Destiny Embrace transformed into a proper sword, having vines forming around its hilt. Charging into battle, Kairi made a skillful three-slash combo, hostile green magic emanating from her weapon. The reindeer stumbled back, but shaking its antlers, it made a mighty roar before charging into Kairi. Riku used a dark Reflectra to block the attack, with Rapunzel throwing her hair onto the hook by her tower. Spinning like a top, she landed various kicks toward the heartless, with one final kick sending it flying. Landing with grace, the princess gave Kairi a wide toothy smile, the two nodding at each other.

"Let's go!" Rapunzel shouted, throwing her hair around Kairi, then chucking the girl in the air. Kairi shoots a barrage of light magic balls at the deer, with a final massive strike finishing her strike. Eugine used a nearby barrel to take care of weaker heartless that seemingly popped out of nowhere, leaving Riku and Cass standing back-to-back. They struck each heartless with careful strikes as they circled around them, with Riku taking Cass's hand. She swung him around before letting him go at massive deer heartless. Riku used his flowmotion to spin around its antlers, making strike after strike before said antlers fell off. Dashing away from the monster, Eugine kicked his barrel toward the creature, with Kairi and Riku shooting blasts of light and dark magic at the object, it making a powerful explosion.

The dust seeping away, the deer heartless fell, leaving a giant glowing heart leaving its body. Whatever heartless that remained just left out of fear, making Eugine smile proudly. "And that's how you become a hero, beating up on hostile shadow creatures." Rapunzel giggled at Eugine, seeing him pose heroically. She kissed his cheek, the two share a loving hug. Cass gagged before turning to Riku and Kairi. "Who was that? You two never mentioned a hooded man running around Corona."

"I honestly didn't expect him to follow us." Riku replied, through part of him figured this would happen. Kairi just held her arm, face both relieved and worried. "Kairi, you alright?"

"Yeah, but I think the heartless trashed Rapunzel's home." She pointed behind her, parts of the tower now cracked and a gaping hole on its side. Rapunzel let go of Eugine and frowned at the sight. "I'm sorry, but that heartless just came out of nowhere and…"

"It's fine." Rapunzel cut Kairi off, a hand holding one of the stone bricks. It had part of one of her many paintings. "Maybe it's meant I leave this part of me behind." Looking toward Kairi, her face grew a warm smile, though Kairi saw right through it. The girls hugged one another, with Riku looking toward Eugine.

"We set up camp deeper in the forest, so we can rest there." Riku nodded but Cass yanked his arm, pulling him away from the group. She looked around in alert before she jabbed a finger into Riku's chest.

"Why is that hooded man helping Varian?" She asked silently, with Riku tilting his head. "You know, the guy we told you about on the way here?" Riku made an 'oh', nodding his head. He remembered hearing about this kid on the walk to the tower. Apparently, he used science which others dubbed 'magic' to figure out why Rapunzel's hair grew again. But somehow, this, later on, made his dad got encased in a glowing yellow rock. The boy tried getting help from Rapzunel and her friends, but Cass told her that he 'double-crossed' them, though Riku could tell there was more to this story. _LIke the older Sora said earlier… _Instead of jumping to conclusions, Riku just folded his arms, thinking of an answer that would make Cass happy.

"That masked man is someone that both Kairi and I ran into somewhere else. We were surprised to learn he's someone we actually knew." Riku bit his lip, having a hard time keeping an honest expression. "This someone helps people often, so no wonder he's helping that kid out. What does Varian want anyway, aside from his dad being free?"

"He wants revenge and he nearly kidnapped my best friend," Cass said dejectedly. "I lost my job as a royal protector, so it's hard keeping an eye on her now." Riku frowned in understanding, putting a hand on her shoulder. She didn't take it off, surprisingly.

"Kairi and I will make sure Rapunzel is safe." He looked at Kairi talking with her and Eugine, his free hand clenched into a fist. "I won't lose my other best friend." Cass smiled at Riku, the two walking toward the group and heading away from the tower.

* * *

Varian looked at the golden flower resting gently within a stand, rubbing his chin. "I never tried this yet… Maybe…" He was going to crush it up and spread its mush on his drill, but a loud cough got his attention. "Sora! How did things go?"

"Oh, I sent my own pet to give them attention." The man threw up his hood and gave his toothy smile. He leaned on the wall, seeing Varian playing with a golden flower. "I didn't know you are into plants. I could have gotten a few of them on my little frolic through the forest." Varian felt a smile twitch on his face but kept a neutral expression. He passed Sora some notes, the Keybalde Master reading it. "Huh, so this has the same magic as Rapunzel's hair."

"No, the flower _gave _her the magic." Varian corrected, making Sora fold his arms. "Yeah, she never told you _how _she got that power, huh?" Sora shook his head, remembering the girl just happy to simply walk on grass and splash around with water. He shrugged his shoulders, figuring she told the full story about her origin to Eugine while him, Donald and Goofy were looking for them. "I take that as a no then."

"Well, if that flower gave her the healing magic, don't you think a nearly decade-old plant has power still?" Sora said bluntly, making Varian blink. The boy put on his goggles and mashed the flower up, mixing some chemicals into the mixture. Walking toward the drill, he spread the formula over it, powering the object up. He tried drilling into the crystal but the drill simply shattered. "Ooh, that doesn't look good."

"Oh really?!" Varian shouted, with Sora not moving an inch. "Why can't you use that waking power already?" Sora frowned, his harsh look pinning Varian in place. "S-Sorry, didn't…"

"I get being frustrated." Sora summoned his Dual Disk keyblade, the object lightly tapping the drill, completely repairing it with computerized effects. Making the object vanish, he put a hand on Varian's shoulder. "We need the keyblade wielders to come _here _and using waking themselves. And no, the actual Keyblade Master isn't going to cut it."

"You mean the girl that's with him?" Varian suggested, with Sora nodding. "How can we get her to help us?" Sora smirked, making another Corridor of Darkness.

"Just let me guide them toward you, that forest is pretty easy getting lost in." Sora peaked his head out of the portal. "Oh, make sure you get that pet of yours ready. I don't think Eugine and that brown haired girl like you very much."

"Yeah, I know…" Varian groaned but was surprised with Sora shot a rainbow beam at Varian. The boy didn't flinch, as if the blast didn't hurt. He grabbed his staff and pointed it at Sora… The thing glowing various colors. "What the…"

"My little… Gift to you. Just don't blow up the place while I'm gone sport." Sora vanished into his portal, leaving Varian alone with a magic-empowered chemical staff.

* * *

Flowers are a beautiful thing, one that you could simply get lost in. All kinds of shades, colors and species make it a fascinating creature to be interested in. But being around so many of said creatures? It can make you sneeze. "Acho!" A pink haired man uttered as he slowly woke up, head throbbing. "Where…" He got on his feet, taking a look at his surroundings. He was in the few bright patches of a seemingly isolated forest, fog coating everything like a heavy blanket. As he got up, he was surprised by his appearance.

"Where is my black robe?" He asked, only seeing light purple pants and a fancy black and white long-sleeve shirt covering him. The most shocking thing to the man was the weapon in his hands. It was a purple and black sword, with a rose at the tip of the blade. It had a dangling star keychain at the bottom of the hilt. "Why am I using a keyblade? I shouldn't…"

Memories of two lives danced in his mind, seemingly at war with one another. _Unions… Organization… Marluxia… Lauraim…_ Those topics in particular really rattled his mind. Groaning, he shook the confusion off and readied his weapon, sensing someone was coming toward him. "Who's there?!"

No one was, just the sounds of an isolated fog echoing his voice back at him. Laurium simply sat down on a patch of flowers, keyblade firmly in his right hand, and waited. "I need to figure who I am and... " An odd tear came down his cheek, making the man blinked. "Process having a heart again."

"Huh…" Laurium remained still, trying to pick apart the shadow coming his way. "I had no idea Marluxia was a keybalde user. Small world." The shadow became clearer, the iconic black robe catching Laurium off guard. "I can tell you are confused, but let me help you."

"Sora?" The man asked in confusion. Sora was a teenager when he fought him before, not a grown man… "Is that you?"

The man threw his hood off and met the man at eye level. "You could say that. How about I get you out of this forest if you just do me a little solid." Laurium narrowed his eyes at Sora. "I remember that little Castle of Nightmares adventure you made me suffer through, so you owe me."

"Fine… Who do you want me to fight?" Laurium asked, standing up and feeling magic coursing through him. Sora smirked, as five figures entered the fog.

* * *

**_ThePsychoPath96 - Our good Master of Masters is going to be up to his own adventures, trust me on that ;)._**

_**prince of underbrush - I never expected the Master of Masters being this fun to write, so I can't wait to work him into the story more as this continues. And yeah, his students are characters for sure. And like I told you in PM's, I was really inspired by your theory and played with that for my own head-canon for the story here and future KH games. **_

_**redlox2 - Just imagine the Master of Masters this way; a man that lost a lot and saw how the world really works after decades of adventure... He's going to be a bit jaded and has a less 'morally right' angle to save everyone. That's the best kind of opposing force to write, as they THINK they are the hero still. It's a ton of fun :). Regarding the Gummi Phone, I rather we simply have intermission chapters to explore what everyone else is doing instead. The KH cast is huge now, so you have a lot to play with. **_

_**H.R.C. Stanley - The Tangled Cartoon is really damn solid, actually being something that adds to the film and is a great continuation of it. Think the "Legend of Tarzan" or "Aladdin The Series" Cartoons, shows that add to the story and world said film created. **_

_**Spartan719 - One of your questions got answered in this chapter ;). **_

_**blackpackager - Aqua and Ven just doesn't seem right to me, simply because I see a brother/sister dynamic with them. And it's honestly interesting playing around with Aqua and Terra's dynamic, both want love and affection (more so after the hell they've experienced all these years) but they can't really get it from one another due to varying levels of fear. It's a great dynamic to play around with and I will toy with that, so sorry if you aren't a fan of that. Regarding Master of Masters... I actually have some ideas in my head about that but nothing is firm at this point. **_

_**TaitanoRules555 - Thank you :).**_

_**Sentinel07 - I will make you care about Star Vs by the time I'm through writing those chapters here, I will just say that ;). And I highly recommend the show, more so now that its fourth season is coming pretty damn soon. Yeah, it has a love triangle for one and half seasons. Yes, it's annoying seeing characters act stupid. But the end result is a good ride and I highly recommend it. Just don't get overly annoyed when something doesn't play out like your mind is assuming (I fell into that trap and nearly left the fandom in S3). **_


	8. Foggy Encounters

**_Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter. We are almost done with the Tangled World, another chapter or two left to go. Yeah, a lot longer than my short one shot but I want to ensure every character gets needed development/screen time/etc. Also just love the worlds I'm picking, so I'm going to enjoy diving into each one. Anyway, as usual, review responses are at the bottom and a shout out to all the new followers/favorites that you guys made recently. Glad so many enjoy this story :). _**

* * *

_How could a bright forest get so spooky? _Kairi thought, her hood covering her red hair as she huddled next to Rapunzel, who was oddly warm despite wearing a basic dress. Riku's eyes darted all over the place, same with Cass', feeling something was watching them. Eugine simply had a tight grip on his frying pan, having a calm and relaxed face, despite his body screaming fear. The five misguided heroes found a 'short cut', one that Eugine suggested, toward their camp but after bumping into a cluster of heartless, they found themselves in the Marsh.

Kairi looked toward Rapunzel, her eyes showing slight worry. "So… You explored this part of the forest before?" The blond princess tapped her chin, nodding after remembering this place from her first real adventure.

"Yeah, Eugine and I ran away from monsters after Sora gave told us to run ahead. I think they were fighting some strange white creatures, right Eugine?" The man nodded, looking at his frying pan and frowning.

"And you wonder why your pops asked for a bodyguard Rapunzel." Cass teased, with Rapunzel rolling her eyes. But the mention of 'white monsters' made Kairi and Riku go on edge; Nobodies roamed this world too.

"What did the white creatures look like?" Riku asked, folding his arms. Kairi looked at him in slight wonderment, before a knowing smile grew on her face. _Right, Riku knew about the Organization before Sora re-meet them. _Maybe asking for more information could point to whom the nobodies came from, every type has a leader they follow.

"They had a lot of flowers around them, and I think one used an umbrella… It's been a while, so my memories a bit fuzzy." Rapunzel said sheepishly. Riku narrowed his eyes, his keybalde itching to come out. _What's wrong? _Kairi wanted to ask, but she felt the urge to fight as well, her Leaf Cutter fully formed. The two stood in front of their friends, with said friends getting ready for battle themselves.

"So we are in a forest filled with fog," Eugine asked.

"With dangerous nobodies." Kairi added.

"With a leader that's one of the strongest members of the old Organization." Riku proclaimed.

"And we are surrounded, aren't we?" Cass said in annoyance.

"Yep." Rapunzel finished, with the five heroes in a tight circle as various nobodies showed up. Riku and Kairi looked at each other, giving a firm nod and sliding to opposite sides of the group. Kairi helped out Rapunzel and Cass, while Riku teamed up with Eugine. Kairi's group fended off dangerous looking nobodies, holding powerful reaper scythes with pink coloring evident on the blade. Ensuring her allies had some light to work with, Kairi shot a Firga blast at a nearby tree, setting the poor thing ablaze, creating some vision in the thick fog. Rapunzel used the light to spot some branches, throwing her hair on it and grabbing Cass' hand. She spun them both around, Rapunzel landing some kicks and Cass making some careful slashes with her blade. Rapunzel threw her friend into the air, with Cass making a careful slash right in the center of the nobody, it vanishing into a puff of smoke.

Kairi saw two more reapers come toward herself and Rapunzel, rushing into them and swinging her Leaf Cutter, making some wave-slashes. The magic-slashes pushed the creatures back, with Kairi remembering Sora using ice to slide across places. _Maybe… _She focused on Sora, his almost off-the-wall style of fighting and she shot a blast of Blizzardga toward the nobodies. She hopped on the trail of ice forming and spun around like a top the moment she landed a blow on the nobody. Using the rush of momentum, she launched in the air with a mighty leap and flicked her hand, keyblade turning into the Rosethorn. Mirroring Cass, she cut a nobody clean in half.

Rapunzel gave her two friends a thumbs up before ducking from a near-death slash from the reaper. Using her hair like a whip, the nobody took the blows like nothing. But the princess grinned, throwing a lock of hair on a branch above her and landing a sweeping kick right in the nobody's chest. Cass held out her blade, the creature landing right on top of it. The nobodies gone, the girls hugged one another in joy. "That was so much fun!" Kairi and Rapunzel shouted in unison, with Cass simply leaning on her blade, having a joyful smirk.

"I gotta tell Riku that…" Kairi looked around, her smile slowly going away.

"What's wrong?" Cass asked, with Kairi pointing ahead of them. The protector groaned, with Rapunzel gulping. "Great, we are lost now. Three girls lost in the woods. At least we can kill anyone if they bother us."

"Come on Cass, people are nice!" Rapunzel proclaimed, with Cass raising an eyebrow. "Well, most of the time they are."

"Maybe I can help…" Kairi focused her heart on Riku, wondering where he was in the Marsh. Holding out her keybalde, it emitted a warm beam of light, pointing north before vanishing. "Okay, we head that way. Riku seems to be okay, so that means Eugine is okay too. Come on girls." She rushed ahead, with her new friends following.

* * *

"How did we end up in this mess?" Eugine asked, dodging flaming-lit rose petals. "I mean, I know why, cause the world is against me sometimes, but seriously!" Riku smirked at the man, rolling away from a cluster of rose petals. Turning around, he blocked a keyblade strike with ease, eyes locked with Marulxa… Or Laurium as he now calls himself. _Am going to fight Organization members my entire life, aren't I? _Riku bitterly joked in his mind, rolling away from yet another strike. He remembered this man, not very fondly mind you. Memories from his replica regarding the treatment Namine faced under this man made his hands leak darkness somewhat. Glaring at the man, he just unleashed his pent-up annoyance via a Dark Firga strike.

"I take it you aren't happy to see me back?" Laurium said slyly, avoiding Riku's attack with little effort. Eugine looked at his frying pan and just threw it at the man's head. Blinking from the attack, Laurium looked at Eugine, his eyes twitching. "You fight with zero dignity. How do you have the heart of this world's princess?"

"Let's just say, I got connections." Laurium raised an eyebrow, seeing Eugine whistle and take a apple out of his satchel. Out of nowhere, a white horse leaped through the rose-covered fog and crashed right into Laurium. The man fell on his knees, holding his keybalde defensively as the horse… started sword fighting of all things. Using shockingly skillful strikes, the horse made Laurium get backed into a corner. Playfully pointing the sword, the object sticking out of itsanmouth, Eugine walked up to his steed and pet its mane. "Great job Max! Gotta say you are every knight's dream horse." Max rolled his eyes, loving the complements. Riku and Laruium just looked at one another, both trying to process what just happened.

"I'm…" Laruium slowly stood up, anger clearly forming on his face. "NOT." He stood up tall, keybalde ready for another round. "Going to lose to a horse of all things!" Eugine and Max looked at each other, with Max just sitting on Laruium. "Get this thing off me!"

"Uh, I don't think that's going to work Marulxa." Riku held in his laughter, the man clearly not amused. "You aren't a Nobody anymore, so why are you fighting us?" Eugine raised an eyebrow at the comment, with Riku turning to Eugine and saying, "...It's a long story but I know this guy. He… _Really _messed with Sora and me." _And Nanime. _Riku didn't add that part, but a frown on his face silently told Laruium that. Turing back to said man, Riku kept his frown. "What do you want?"

"I just woke up here and your _friend _asked me to fight you." Riku blinked, turning around and just realizing the girls weren't with them. "And now you realize you got played. You _are _a keyblade master, correct?" Riku would have smacked him in the face with his keyblade but Eugine simply met the man at face level. "I don't know where he went, this place is foggy even for me."

"Really now? Because I was going to make you a deal of a lifetime." Eugine looked at his nails, making Laruium itching to have his sycthe once more. "You, help us find our friends."

"For what in return?" Laruium asked. Eugine leaned into the man's face, pointing to Max. The horse's weight was slowly breaking some bones even a Curga spell wouldn't fix. Not responding, Eugine whispered into the man's ear. All color left Laruium's face. "No, you wouldn't…"

"Oh, I wouldn't. But Max? Well, he never lets a criminal go." Max smirked if horses could do such a thing and Laruium sighed. "Up boy, our reluctant friend is going to help us." Max got up and licked Laruium in the face. Not noticing any happy expression, the horse sharply poked its hooves into the man's shoulder.

"Okay! Thank you for not killing me!" Max nodded and waited for the three to hop on his back. Eugine quickly got on, with Laurium casting Cura on himself, his body exhausted. Riku smirked at the man, earning a glare in return. "Yeah, laugh it up. Do you think I don't regret my actions? I used to be a guardian of light like you before I turned into a Nobody." Riku froze, eyes blinking as if he heard something dumb. "I'm not kidding, you aren't special. Keybalde wielders used to be everywhere. What? Those keybaldes on the ground in that graveyard were just a decoration to you?"

"No, I knew that…" Riku responded, his expression lost as Laruium and himself hopped on Max's back. _Do… Do other members of the Organization have Keyblades? _He seriously pondered. And then a sense of fear struck through him. _I need to tell Master Yen Sid about this. Soon. _They rode through the fog, unaware of a hooded man watching them. He turned around and threw off his robe, put on some royal armor that he 'borrowed' from not-knocked-at-all guards seeing stars sitting under some tree.

* * *

"...That's the same tree." Cass complained.

"No, it isn't." Rapunzel insisted.

"Yes, it is the same tree," Kairi commented tone edged with annoyance.

"Okay then! Where should we go mightly wilder of keys?" Rapunzel shouted.

"I don't know!" Kairi screamed, frustration at a breaking point. The three girls glared at one another, tired and exhausted walking in this forsaken Marsh for what seemed hours, Kairi, in particular, being on edge. She knew her new friends could hold their own in a fight, but she personally hated this feeling of helplessness. _Never again… _She bitterly told herself, charging ahead and slashing a nearby heartless clean in half. "...Maybe the exit is over there?" Kairi suggested, seeing the shadow of a man wielding a sword. Kairi rushed toward the man, with Rapunzel and Cass following.

"Take that!" The man said playfully, using a basic sword to strike a heartless down. Kairi saw this and saw the man's toothy smile, confusion dancing across her face. "Huh? Why is such a fine lady walking in this forest all alone?" Rapunzel and Cass ran up to her, the man nearly dropping his sword. "The kingdom's princess! I didn't know you were on a mission…"

"Captian?" Rapunzel asked, her green eyes studying the man. He _did _wear the kingdom's insignia on his armor. Hearing no words from her best friend, Rapunzel looked at Cass, whose face was completely awestruck. "Uh… Hello? Earth to Cass? We got someone that might help us?" She waved her hands, but Cass' face was just forming a dumb smile.

Kairi looked between her new friend and the man, snickering to herself. _Figures she would be into this kind of guy. _Kairi herself saw a lot of Sora in the man before her, which would have made her somewhat nervous if there wasn't some jerkish older Sora roaming the… As if her body went into auto-drive, she summoned her Rosethorn and pointed it at the man. "You are that older Sora, aren't you?" Rapunzel and Cass blinked in surprise hearing this, but Kairi didn't care about Order at this particular moment. The man's eyes were shielded by his helmet, so Kairi couldn't see his blue eyes underneath, but his mouth had Sora's goofy and heroic smile. And if she wasn't so on guard, she would have swooned seeing her boyfriend's body looking so… _Stop it! That isn't Sora! Well… Your Sora… Time travel sucks. _Fixing her hold on the keyblade, Kairi stood guard, with Rapunzel simply walking toward the man.

"Is that really you, Sora?" Rapunzel asked, the man's face having a hard time not forming a smile. "Why are you attacking us? I thought we were friends…"

"Wait, _this _guy is the one you're looking for?" Cass finally snapped out of it, her blade itching for blood. Kairi shook her head, with Cass sighing. "You got the body of a hero, but if what my pal says is true… You are the one causing trouble, aren't you?"

"You know…" The man threw off his helmet, folding his arms in pure annoyance. Kairi nearly dropped her keyblade seeing how blue his eyes were. And the amount of unsaid hurt they contained. "I knocked out two guards trying to be nice to you ladies, getting out of this Marsh, which I remember getting lost in with Donald and Goofy for _how _long looking for you." Sora pointed to Rapunzel, making her blink. "And you know, maybe put on a bit of a show, being the heroic knight, as yeah, saving princesses was a thing I used to do." Cass held up her finger. "You are a strong female warrior, so you are a princess like your friend. Nuff said." Cass' eye twitched, but Sora kept on moving his mouth. "But you are all 'you're evil, you summoned that heartless, blah blah blah…' and I'm standing here shocked, seeing mister rose sycthe coming back to life and learning that one of the nicest faces I've encountered on my travels actually is a lier." Sora glared at Rapunzel, anger very evident in his blue eyes. Kairi had a hard time looking at his face, imagining her Sora glaring at Xehanort.

"You really are an older Sora…" Kairi said, snapping Sora out of his thoughts. He just gave her a weak smile before sighing. "Why are you…"

"That kid is not far from turning into a great heartless like Gothel wound up turning into," Sora admitted. "And I sorta gave him a little magic in case people bothered him, oops, didn't think." Kairi frowned at the man, who held his hands up defensively. "I'm a teacher now, shocking to hear, so maybe you can learn something Kairi." He pointed his Kingdom Key, light covering the Marsh. "You can find Varian down this way, in a dinky little lab near a village. You should know about this Rapunzel." Sora folded his hands behind his head, slowly walking off. "Oh, and you." Cass seemingly knew he was referring to her, raising an eyebrow. "I get you are into the tall heroic knight, but kept that blade sharp. Your friend is very powerful and people could be after her."

Before she could answer, Sora was gone, body vanishing into the fog before the fog itself cleared up. Kairi just looked at her keybalde, body shaking. _He's… He wants me to do what now? _She wondered what he really meant, but Kairi was taken aback with how much anger he had toward Rapunzel. "What happened?" Kairi asked, genuine worry for her new friend and just general interest present in her voice.

"Varian… He makes you feel sorry for him." Rapunzel started, slowly walking ahead. Kairi and Cass followed, both on guard. "He really is a nice guy, but he's so interested in his science, that he wound up using the odd spikes that reacted to my hair to trap his dad in a crystal." Kairi covered her mouth, but Cass frowned, annoyed she had to tell another person about this story. "I promised Varian I could help him, but I… I couldn't, not when he kept getting so hostile and…" She couldn't finish, a tear was slowly forming down her cheek. "He has my mom. And the guards are going to plan an attack to get her back, even if it means…"

"Wait, the kid has your mom?" Kairi asked, with Rapunzel nodding. "And Sora is helping him? He wouldn't help someone that is willing to harm others."

Cass rubbed her chin, a frown forming on her face. "Maybe this Sora guy didn't see your mom Rapunzel." Kairi closed her eyes, trying something. Feeling her connection to Sora, the one she knew, it was the same as before; darkness accepted in his heart but his light still somewhat strong. But she focused more, on the latest connection she just formed. Powerful darkness was inside the man, but she felt a powerful rush of emotions. Kairi fell on her knees, taking deep breaths to hold on to the connection, clenching her fist to find something out. She peeked into the man's emotions, seeing… No ounce of anger toward Varian. Just annoyance he's willing to go so far to get what he wants. "You okay Kairi?"

"He doesn't know." Kairi got up. "We gotta get there soon before he finds out." Kairi dashed ahead, with Rapunzel and Cass running after her. Unaware to the girls, Riku and his band of merry men spotted them, Max dashing at a faster clip.

* * *

_**Yeah, this chapter really has me flexing my writing muscles regarding our favorite Master of Masters. And yes, at this point, I do refer to him as Sora cause he is a much-older Sora. I will be sure to make it clear when we are shifting to the Sora we all know and love (KH3 Sora) and the Master of Masters, so if any confusion has been the case thus far, I'm will be sure to avoid that going forward. **_

_**ThePsychoPath96 - Your ideas had me rolling, more so with the eye idea. I don't really play around with the Gummi Phone, as I would rather the cast members talk to each other in person unless the narrative calls for the Gummi Phone. The Masters of Master flirting with the female characters, well, I could toy with that, but I need to figure a few things out regarding if he gets a pairing or not. **_

_**Sentinel07 - Thank you for the kind words and I hope that mistake still isn't present in this chapter. If it is, I will work it out once I'm fully done with the 'Kingdom of Corona' chapters. **_

_**TaitanoRules555 - Here is the thing about your suggestion, while I get what you're going with (Demix has a very similar personality to the Master of Masters), I just personally don't see it. It's largely due to a few things, but the main factor is how Namora writes the bad guys. KH3 actually made all the main villains have characterization with unique motives for WHY they are jerks, not just 'we are bad, hate us plz'. So him actually having the main bad guy or possing force for future games be a musician (that still is a nobody at the conclusion of KH3; Sora didn't kill him like the others), I just don't picture it. I DO imagine him being one of the Dandelions and he will show up later in the story in some form, but he's no master of masters. And for my story, I just wanted a very morally complex character to toy with. An older Sora as the 'bad guy'? That's just interesting simply cause you to wonder why a kind soul like Sora went dark. And KH3 actually plants a few seeds for why he would head down this path (seeing death shockingly often, lost his friends twice, couldn't be with his love despite how much he fought to get to that point, etc).**_

_**prince of underbrush - Oh and that can of worms... I actually pondering what to exactly do with **_**_Streletzia, as it would be interesting playing around with a character having a personality very similar to Kairi's (same could apply to Ava too when I eventually get to that point). _**

_**blackpackager - Outside of the canon ships in this story (Kairi and Sora, Riku and Namine, Xion and Roxas), I will not be focusing so much on that aspect. The ships will enhance the story in organic ways, so just trust me on that stuff. Being in the Star Vs community really... Really was an eye-opener regarding how to handle ships. **_

_**H.R.C. Stanley - Yes and no. Master of Masters is an older Sora from a wordline different from our Sora (a proper introduction to him is written and will be posted when the time is right) and the Sora we know and love is in the Dreaming World of Shibuya. Same name but very unique characters. **_

_**Gracekim20 - Thank you :). **_

_**redlox2 - I can understand not being fully interested in one of the Disney worlds (wasn't a huge fan of how Frozen was handled myself in KH3). And you strike on some very interesting points... I will just say, you will see how things turn out as the story continues ;). MoM is honest when he says 'I don't know about rose sycthe coming back' in this chapter and he genuinely doesn't know about Ava's location. He may be the 'bad guy' but he's still is Sora; he wouldn't downright lie to people that are helping him. **_


	9. Sundrop Panic

_**Hey guys, back at it with the final chapter in 'Kingdom of Corrina', with this being a really fun chapter to write. After this, we venture to more worlds and what not. Thank you for the high amount of views, follows and favorites again; it feels nice to write something and have so many people enjoy it :). **_

* * *

Coming out of a corrdior of darkness, Sora felt chills run down his spine. "Note to self, don't use these without that cloak." Walking toward the dinky little lab Varian called home, Sora absentmindledly took out his Gummi Phone, playfully tossing it up in the air and catching it. "This kid better know what he's doing, Rapunzel seemed surprised I was willing to help him." Being the great judge of character he was, Sora gently pushed the door open and smirked, awaiting seeing his 'student' use that magic he gave him for something.

To his surprise, the kid wasn't in the lab. "Huh…" Looking around, he took threw his cloak over the lab chair, looking at Varian's father. He looked shocked, trying to hold out his hand for whatever reason. _I could understand wanting to help a loved one. _Memories of failing to save Kairi all those decades ago… Vanishing before he could train his students more… Sora looked at his right hand, it clenched in a thick ball. "Come on, gotta mission to do here." The Master walked around the lab, actually studying it this time having some breathing room till the 'grand battle' beings later. He saw it… Oddly messy, which is a huge no-no for a scientist. _Even Finklestein handled his equipment better… And he could pop open his head. _Picking up some broken bottle, Sora smelt it, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Ugh… " He dropped it, smelling some foul sent. "Yep, darkness. Guess he liquized a heartless…" Sora paused, eyes blinking. "If he found out how to weaponize darkness…" Sora slowly got up, feeling his legs dash toward another room in the lab. Flinging the door open, his eyes went wide, seeing four massive mechs, and not the colorful kind. They were shoddily put together, cold steel mixing old rusted pieces and some of the royal armor Corona has. "He just wanted to save his dad, he says…" Sora bitterly joked, walking further into the room. He could even _smell _the darkness emanating off the hunks of steel, but what got his attention was a muffled voice. "Varian? If you're here, we gotta talk about something kid."

The muffled voice got louder, sounding distinctly female… Sora's body felt a rush of panic, one that hasn't felt in many enons. Flicking his hand to summon Ever After, he lights up the room to find a hidden ceiller. Kicking the door in, Sora landed with grace, finding a brown-haired woman chained to the floor. She looked at Sora in fear, but noticing the royal armor Sora forgot to take off, she mistook him as a knight seemingly. Sora didn't even think about this, using his keyblade to quickly free her from her shackles. Taking off the cloth covering her mouth, she quickly hugged Sora. "Thank you… I thought no one heard me."

"What is going on?!" Varian shouted, now entering the room. To the boy's shock, Sora stood heroically in front of the Queen, his blue eyes giving a look of anger that pinned Varian in place. "Sora, I could explain…"

"Really now? Cause I didn't sign up for 'kidnapping woman and chaining them to walls' good sir." Sora helped the woman up. "Look…" Clenching his fist, he summoned his black cloak. "This will protect you." Sora opened a Corridor of Darkness, remembering the town he visited with Donald and Goofy before the 'lights' were lit. "This should take you home, but put that cloak on when you enter. Your daughter and her friends will be fine."

"Thank you, Sora." She smiled, throwing on the cloak and dashing through the corridor. Now alone with Varian, Sora narrowed his eyes, using the keyblade to shut the door Varian came through.

"I may be willing to use Heartless to guide my former... No, _my friends_ down a specific path, but that doesn't mean I would _willingly _use my powers to harm others." Varian slowly walked backward, nearly stumbling to his knees. "You kidnap the queen. The _Queen_ of a kingdom, just to get blondie here to save your pops." Sora pointed his keybalde at Varian. "Oh, before you say 'but you don't understand', I DO understand!" The man shouted, his voice not unlike when Kairi died before his eyes in the past. "I would move the Earth and more to get my loved one back, but I would never cross the lines you're willing to cross."

"So… You are a lier, just like her." Varian said, finding his voice and eyes tinted yellow. Sora frowned, knowing what this meant. "So the great 'hero' isn't one at all." Varian looked at his staff, smirking. "Well, even with the queen gone, that doesn't mean I'm not ready." As if on command, the mechs Varian made moved on their own, emanating powerful darkness.

"Oh boy…" Sora cracked his neck. "Vanitias, I may need some help here buddy," Sora said aloud, confusing Varian somewhat. The boy shook it off, blasting some green liquid at Sora from the staff, but Sora blocked it, his right arm tinted with darkness. His left hand firmly held the Ever After, but his right held the Void Gear proudly. Sora's right eye glowed red, a faint smirk growing on his face.

Varian commanded his personal army to strike, with various Shadow Heartless joining them. Sora just smiled dangerously, charging into battle with no hesitation.

* * *

"The guy said _what_?" Riku asked, finally caught up with Kairi and her group. Max and Eugine fell back, traveling to Corona to get back up for the incoming fight. Laruium just had a hand firmly holding his keybalde, surprise clear on his face.

"Yeah, Sora doesn't know Varian has my mom," Rapunzel said, using her hair to swing across a large gap. The group was surprised to see the town Varian resided covered with the black spikes, forming a seemingly endless sea of the objects. Keyblade wasn't cutting it, forcing the group to roll, jump and swing across the town. "And it seems Varian triggered the spikes."

"Glad Flynn fell back, he couldn't face this." Cass tried to joke, but a spike popping up out of nowhere cut her arm. Hissing in pain, Kairi silently cast Curga on the entire group. "Thanks, girl."

Kairi nodded, but her face was firm. She _felt _powerful darkness ahead, and it came from two sources. "We need to hurry up!" Kairi shouted, coating her keyblade with her light, using a Raid attack. The keyblade flew through some of the spikes, with Kairi catching the weapon just in time before making a large leap. Riku saw the determination in her eyes, smiling and joining her.

Lauruim just smirked. "So, seems the girl really is strong after all. No wonder Sora has such strong memories of her." Lauruim stood beside Rapunzel and Cass, helping them through the maze of spikes. "Maidens, let me help." He focused on his inner magic, letting rose covered thrones erupt from the ground. They made a sudo-Earthquake, making the spikes launch in the air.

"Thanks!" Rapunzel shouted, helping Cass through the opening. Laurium continued using his magic to clear the path for them, with Rapunzel and Cass having a silent conversation with just their expressions. While they were catching up, Riku and Kairi found the lab Older Sora told them about… And speaking of the said person, he was flung through the roof. Landing right infront of Riku and Kairi, they were surprised to see him scruffed up. Kairi was taken aback at his pure black hand.

"So… You guys finally showed up." Master Sora smirked, though it seemed tired. "Kairi, you need to free his pops so the kid can snap out of his funk. Don't worry about the Queen, she's back home safely. Though hopefully, they don't mind her sporting Orginzation's style."

"You made a corridor for her…" Riku asked, with Sora nodding. "You aren't half bad after all." "Alright," Riku stood right next to Sora, nostalgia flowing through the older man's mind of better days. "Kairi, can you…" As if reading his thoughts, she slashed through a few heartless clean as she leaped over the two, rushing into the building. "You surprised?"

"Not really," Sora replied, dual keyblades in hand. "Once you lose enough, you find your inner strength." Riku blinked at how… _wise _this older Sora sounded. "Come on fellow Master, let's beat up some mechs."

"I will take out more." Riku joked, with Sora rolling his red and blue eyes. Riku charged into one of them, using dark Firga blast to launch into the air, landing a flowmotion powered blow. The mech stumbled back, with darkness blasts coming from its fists. Riku used Dark Reflectra to defend himself as Sora used the shield as cover before thinking of an idea. Smirking, the man leaped over Riku and threw the Void Gear right through the mech, making it blow up on the spot.

Having Ever After, Sora flicked it and summoned the Marige Staff, dashing to create various clones of himself. Between himself and the four phantom Sora's, they shot a barrage of light at the second mech, with Sora throwing the rod right at the mech, a tower erupting from the ground. His phantoms stood tall on the tower, making a powerful light show. Riku would have paused, but he blocked a strike from a metal claw. Pushing the metal hunk back, he made a three-hit combo with his keybalde, with Sora finishing it using a Firza blast.

Rapunzel, Lauruium, and Cass just made it in time, with only a few weak heartless to take care of. "So, seems like I won," Sora smirked at Riku, the teen having a hard time holding in a smile. Though noticing the odd tear in the Riku's eyes. Sora put a hand on Riku's shoulder. "Look, I'm not the friend you remember or the friend you are looking for. Just know that whatever I do, it's for the greater good down the line." Sora cracked his neck, sitting on a mech's cut-off head, with Riku giving a baffled look. "Oh, and I'm not rushing after Kairi. She can face that kid on her own."

"But what if she gets trouble!" Riku shouted, surprised at Sora's lack of care. But the keybalde wielder was surprised to see Sora's thoughtful expression. Standing up, he turned to Rapunzel and Cass. "Sora?"

"You two, sorry I helped that kid. He should be fine soon enough but Rapunzel… Your mom is okay, she's back home wearing a black cloak." Rapunzel hugged Sora, but he just patted her shoulder. "Uh, I'm not the good guy here but okay."

"...You tried being bad, but couldn't finish the job, huh?" Cass asked, with Rapunzel backing up. Sora smirked, having a hard time holding in a laugh. "Unbelievable…"

"What can I say, half-pint to the end I suppose." Sora opened a corridor, putting his hands behind his back, walking off. Riku didn't know what to think but decided to run into the building, Luruium stood before Rapunzel and Cass, giving them a firm look saying 'stay put'. But the two rushed after Riku anyway.

"I guess girls never listen to me…" He said to himself, deciding to stand guard until they solved the problem.

* * *

Kairi rolled away from a magic blast from Varian, her teeth clenched. "Stay still!" The boy growled, his voice hinged in rage. Using her Leaf Cutter, she made various slashes, blocking each attack. She tried to get an opening to use her keybalde on the crystal, hopeful freeing Varian's dad will snap him out of it… She rolled away from another attack, frustration quickly getting the better of her.

"Can you just STOP being a brat for five minutes?!" Kairi screamed, pinning the boy in place. She felt her hand shaking, shocked she yelled so loud. "Y-You really want to be the bad guy? Or you feel forced into this role?"

Varian frowned, loosening the grip on his chemical staff. His pet raccoon even turned back to normal, scurrying away. Kairi winced at the cuts the accursed thing made on her, hoping she could cast Curga soon once her magic fully returned. "It's fine, it's no fault of mine," Varian said to himself, trying to sound convincing. "I will make them hear me…"

"And you want _this_…" Kairi gestured around herself, with Varian looking at his ravaged lab. "To be what they see and hear? A deranged mad scientist that is just using his father as an excuse to do bad things?" She marched forward, grip on her keybalde tightening.

Variain made a dark frown, glaring at Kairi. "As if you understand anything." Kairi's eyes went wide before narrowing in an instant. She started laughing, then it became almost manic laughter, alarming even Varian.

"You think, I don't understand loss? Or feeling like a failure?" Kairi said softly, before wiping away the tears forming in her eyes. "I _died _twice for being too weak. I tried getting stronger, for him… And he gave himself away so I could stand tall." Kairi's voice got louder, lips trembling. "May my heart…" He pointed her keybalde at the crystal, with Varian getting ready for another attack. "Be my guiding key!" She blasted a powerful beam of light, letting her emotions and desire to see Sora again power the magic. The golden crystal lit up in a powerful light, making Varian shield his eyes. Riku and the gang entered the room, with Kairi falling on her knees. Riku helped her up, with Rapunzel and Cass shocked at the sight they are witnessing; Varian breaking down as his father slowly wakes up.

* * *

The town covered with spikes was now covered with a warm summer light instead. Various guards were helping people return to their homes, with two complaining about someone stealing their armor and never returning it. Riku was sitting down on a nearby bench, with Kairi's sleeping form resting on his shoulder. This is yet again, where he is watching over Kairi after she recovers from using her powerful light magic. _Is this what the older Sora wanted? _Riku pondered, remembering the fight near Port Royal. _He knew those people were going to be fine, cause they are ppiratesand we were there to help… _

His thoughts were cut off with a guard coming up to him. "Can I speak to you and your friend?" Riku sighed, helping Kairi up, gently nudging her awake. She groggly woke up, her arm over Riku's shoulder for support. The two followed the gaurd, leading them to a carriage, said carriage housing Varian with cuffs on his hands. "He wants to speak to the girl."

Kairi, semi-awake yawned and nodded, rubbing her tired eyes. Riku smirked, finding the sight priceless but summoned his keyblade, glaring at Varian incase he tried something. The boy just gave a guilty expression, looking at Kairi. "I… I'm sorry if I hurt you," Varian said weakly, with Kairi just holding the boy's hand. "I felt so much… Rage inside me, that I didn't know what to do with it."

"We all make mistakes and you are going to work on yourself." She patted his shoulder, making him smile. "But I'm not the one you should be saying sorry too." Varian just looked at his feet, knowing who she was refering too. "I do understand where you were coming from… But we gotta find healthy ways to deal with our grief." She hopped out of the carriage, feeling surprisingly more awake. "...Did that man tell you anything? On why he helped you?"

"He said he understood. Maybe he found his loved one." Varian replied, unsure how to respond. Kairi just nodded, watching the carriage off. Riku patted Kairi's shoulder, the two looking at one another exausted. They left the village, wondering if they should wish Rapunzel and her friends off, but they spotted Laruium walking out of the town.

"You want us to drop you off with Master Yen Sid?" Riku asked the man, maing Laruium raise an eyebrow. "He helped Axel… Um, Lea, learn how to use his keybalde." Laruium chuckled at the mention of the 'tratior', sighing in response. "But you said something that got my attention…"

"Ah yes, the other weidlers." Kairi blinked, confused at the topic at hand. Uncaring of Kairi's confusion, he continued. "Larxine, Demx, and Luxord are like me. Even Xenmnas was aware of our 'innate legacy'. Not sure where the later two are... " Riku did know, with Roxas telling him of how Demx is one of the key reasons for his return, but he let Laruium continue. "But Larxine… She's was looking for my sister."

"You had a sister?" Riku and Kairi said in unison, making Laruium smirk knowingly. He folded his arms and looked around. "What?"

"I don't know where she is either but she's looking still I think... So, where is this ship of yours? I want to meet this 'Master Yen Sid' person. Maybe he could help me find other weilders." Lauruim walked ahead, a warm smile on his face. "Maybe I could be a Union leader again if those are still around…"

"Sure…" Kairi answered unsurely, her mind still tired from that least fight. Knowing she isn't giving a proper goodbye made her feel a bit somber, but Kairi smiled knowing she can visit her friends again once things calm down. Riku smiled, seemingly aware of what she was thinking. The trio headed deeper into the woods once more, finding their ship to set sail.

* * *

"...You actually helped them." Luxu laughed at his master over the Gummi Phone, Sora looking unamused. "I mean, I get your younger self being 'mister helpful' but this is just silly…"

"She can use waking now," Sora said smugly, with Luxu pausing himself. "Yep, I taught her how to use waking _while _still coming out as 'the helpful hero person'. So talk about that, huh?" Luxu smiled, pleased that his master still has it. "Granted, it takes a lot out of her, so she needs to keep working on her light magic, but that's what I'm here for."

"So that's your role…" Sora rolled his eyes, both blue once more. "But you said that Vanitias helped you? Don't tell me that heart of yours is holding another prisoner again."

"As he said before I took him down ages ago." Sora coughed, trying to impersonate his darker brother. "I'm always will be your shadow." Luxu simply sighed with Sora folding his arms. "Hey, you want to know how I taught daul weilding? Thank him."

"So, I've been keeping tabs on your younger self and he's been alright," Sora smirked, pleased that things are going well. "Will have more to say soon, Aced is really going to town on some masked kid."

"I'm sure I will know about it eventually," Sora said knowingly, ending the call and looking over the horizon. He sighed, seeing the kingdom of corroina looking so breathtaking. "May my heart, be my guiding key." Sora walked off, ready to continue his teachings.

* * *

Two friends were sitting, playing a game of cards. The little chameleon Pascal just smirked, making a little giggle with his high pitched voice as he showed his hand. Max blinked at the five jokers, throwing his hooves at the table sending everything flying. Pascal's eyes darted toward the castle, as they were playing cards in the courtyard. Max narrowed his eyes, wondering if his friend was tricking him, but Pascal's tail pointed toward the castle doors, with Max neighing.

The horse _just _helped Eugine get the guards to toward that town and was happy that the Queen is resting well. Thinking something else went wrong, the horse surprised at seeing a familiar face. A head of spiky brown hair was walking toward the castle gate, Pascal's face twitching a smile. Max couldn't place it, but the man was leaving something by the doorstep. He turned toward the animals, making a mock bow before walking into the town.

Max and Pascal looked at one another, with the later poking Max with his tail to walk forward. Snickering at his green friend's cowardness, he walked toward the objects that strangely familiar man left behind. It was some royal armor neatly folded and a letter on top if it.

Pascal peaked from behind a bush, taking the letter and reading it.

_I figured you would read this Pascal, you were like Rapunzel's Jiminy. These belonged to the royal guards. I 'borrowed' them for a little while, so let the guards know they got their clothes back. And tell them to wash it, I think heartless gunk is on it still. _

_Your Friend, Sora_

_PS: Also tell them that Kairi and Riku are sorry for not saying goodbye. I think they are having a 'lovely chat' with some master or something. _

Putting it down, he gave Max a confused look. The horse just looked at the paper, wanting to shred it into pieces, he loved doing that. Pascal yanked the letter away, giving the horse a pointed look. Max simply sighed and walked to his little apple basket that Eugine set up for him. The horse neighed in content, pleased at his reward for his good work. Pascal shook his head and hopped on Max's back, using the letter as a make-shift blanket.

"Pascal? You weren't in my hair, sooo…" She walked around the courtyard, seeing her companion resting on Max, who was enjoying a lovely meal. Picking up her little friend, Pascal nudged his head on Rapunzel's hand. "I missed you too." She noticed the letter around Pascal. "Who gave this to you?"

Pascal stood on her hand, standing tall and holding his tail, trying to impersonate Sora using the keyblade. Rapunzel giggled at the gesture and read the letter. She finished reading it, smiling and folded the letter up. Max saw Rapunzel finally, finished eating a few apples and neighed in joy. "Yeah, I'm okay Max. And it seems our new friends are alright too."

"Raps, you ready for that training?" Cass shouted, throwing a spare sword at Rapunzel, She caught it with ease. "If we are going to travel out of the kingdom, I need you to be trained in combat. Not just… Using your hair all the time."

"Come on Cass, you know it's either my hair or the frying pan." She readied herself, with the two friends having a friendly sparring match. Eugine simply watched, both girls unaware he was in the courtyard too. He was finishing a chat from the king, more or less translating too 'if a single hair is on my girl, your head is hanging on a pelt'.

"Oh inlaws…" Eugine joked to himself. He was surprised not to see his new friends, as he remembered Sora, Donald, and Goofy saying their goodbyes last time. Figuring more important matters were at work, more so considering some older Sora was running around… "That still baffles me but hey, gonna marry a girl with magic hair in a few months, so what do I know." Enjoying life once more having a happy ending, he just leaned on Max, the horse dealing with the weight Eugine put on him due to not feeling inclined to kick him in the spline.

* * *

_** And that's that for the Tangled World. We may come back to it, but now we push onward to other places. Honestly very happy with how this chapter turned out and it shows a side to the Master of Masters that makes you recall a specific sky boy. Speaking of said boy, he will show up soon. Anyway, review round up time :). **_

_**redlox2 - Your question wasn't confusing. If it was confusing, then I shouldn't be writing Kingdom Hearts Fan-Fiction :P. But yeah, you are right. MoM isn't all-knowing as there is a specific cut-off point in his memory and regarding his ties... You will see that. But no question is stupid or confusing. Thank you for asking.**_

_**ThePsychoPath96 - What happens in KH3 is canon to whatever I'm writing, so will just say that. And regarding your other points, I'm not going to show my hand now am I ;)? You will just see what direction I take our dear MoM. **_

_**blackpackager - Thank you for your kind words and you will find out as the story continues. **_

_**TaitanoRules555 - If you are implying my writing is that unreadable... Then don't read my first stuff on this site :'). But I said it pretty clear, my spelling and grammar are far from perfect and I'm working on that. **_

_**prince of underbrush - I'm just picturing Yen Said having a headache and drinking coffee with Mickey trying to figure things out. But yeah, he's going to be fun to dive into. And MoM is really an open book. **_

_**Sentinel07 - Thank you and I'm sorry bout the mistake. Actually, you will notice Cass call Rapunzel a nickname. I completely forgot she has one for her in the cartoon, so it's a small detail I wanted to add. Off topic, but it's just an example of how I can forget some things. **_

_**H.R.C. Stanley - Of course, this is Kingdom Hearts. Just be happy I'm containing all this madness in one story instead of various connecting one-shots that are on different sites. ...That would be pure madness. **_

_**Dom2040 - Thank you for the kind words and happy you are enjoying the story!**_


	10. Next Steps

_**Hello guys! Back with anothers chapter and this is mostly set up for the next few chapters. And I was surprised at how... Error-filled the last chapter was, so it should be ironed out with its mistakes. And that's why this chapter took longer to come out, I was ensuring editing and spelling was better. Review responses are at the bottom as usual. **_

* * *

The vast skies of space, showing millions upon millions of stars, shined brightly in the sky. Beneath said skies, was an odd magical tower, rumored to vanish after a period of time. It was resting for the moment, however, a tall man in a blue robe sitting earnestly, awaiting the arrival of three guests.

"Gosh, I didn't expect you to call me," Mickey said earnestly, standing before his master. The young king made the wise master smile fondly, remembering his more… Mysterious years. What was once a mouse simply wanting to help his friends, now ruled a kingdom. Then again, Yen Sid always appreciated how Mickey remained his earnest kind self, even if he calmed his more wild nature as the years progressed. Mickey tilted his head, getting his master's attention. "Sorry, just remembering when I was training you."

"It was an experience, Master," Mickey said good-naturedly, giving his iconic laugh. Knocking was heard from the door, with Mickey opening it. "Oh! Kairi! Riku!" He hugged the two, with the young keyblade wielders smiling at seeing one of their oldest friends once more. Mickey let them go, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Lauruium. "So you are Maruluxa's Somebody…" Mickey would have summoned his keyblade if his master wasn't in the room. While Ansem was the biggest threat to Riku in that Castle Oblivion adventure, the man before Mickey was responsible for Sora being forced to sleep for a full year.

"I know, I did bad things but I'm here to atone for them." Laurium read Mickey's mind, walking to Master Yen Sid. He made a prideful bow, surprising everyone but Yen Sid. The wizard smirked, gesturing Laurium to stand tall. "So, we are here to inform you about a current situation, but that's where the Princess of Light and Keyblade Master come in. I'm here train once more." He summoned his keyblade, making Yen Sid's eyes grow wide. He rubbed his beard, mind wondering what this could mean. Seemingly aware of the situation, Yen Sid nodded and Laurium was guided to a chamber so he could speak with the Master alone.

Riku and Kairi were surprised to see this; the master never did this. But he quickly got back, fixing his robe, and sat down as if Laurium never showed up. "Now, I need you both to tell me about your travels. I've gotten good tidings about your progress, Young Kairi."

"Yes, Master." She bowed and summoned her keyblade. She made it transform twice, showing the two forms she learned. Seeing the Rosethorn and Leaf Cutter, Yen Sid smiled in pride. "Riku and I are looking for Sora, as we both _know _he's out there somewhere. But…"

"We encountered someone." Riku chimed in, arms folded and eyes downcast. "I don't _think _it's another Xehanort situation, but we _do _have another Sora running around." Yen Sid was going to laugh if he didn't find the situation already amusing.

"Are you referring to Young Ventus, Xion or Roxas?" Riku was going to say 'yes' but closed his mouth, walking right into that joke. "I know it's not them." Yen Sid replied quick, knowing even Riku had a limit. "I've felt some… Strange forces at work." He stood up and waved his hands, making a large tome appear on his desk. Kairi and Riku walked toward the massive tome, it's pages moving fast speeds. Just as Riku was going to comment on something in the book, the door flung open, showing Donald and Goofy stumbling into the room.

"Fellas, I told ya I was going to take long." Mickey frowned at his friends, with Goofy looking a bit guilty. Donald though entered one of his fits and glared at Yen Sid. "Donald, this isn't the time for your temper…"

"Sora is out there and you didn't _tell us_?!" Donald referred to the entire room, his red face looking genuinely hurt. Riku walked up to the royal mage and met him at face level. "We could have gone on the adventure with you two…"

"Sorry Donald, but this isn't the Sora you are looking for," Riku stated, making Donald blink. Goofy held in a laugh, with Donald elbowing the royal knight. Riku turned to Yen Sid and the oddly serious Mickey. "When we visited the Caribbean and Corona, we bumped into a man in a black coat. He referred to himself as Sora." He clenched his hands, confused emotions dancing across his eyes.

"He even acts like Sora," Kairi commented, one of her hands holding her arm sheepishly. "He can summon heartless, dual wield keyblades and I think… Is trying to train me to learn waking." Yen Sid stood up at this, unsure how to even respond. He looked at the book he just summoned, flipping through some pages. Collecting his surprised mind, he coughed to get everyone's attention.

"This is an odd discovery, not unlike the time-travel that Xehanort used to collect his thirteen darknesses. I theorize that this 'Sora', is trying to give you the means to find his younger self." Yen Sid suggested, with Kairi nodding in agreement. "But, his heart is tainted with darkness, meaning you can't fully trust him, regardless of your bond with _your _Sora."

"We know that." Riku chimed in, sighing in somewhat of a defeat. "What should we do now? Kairi and I's original plan was to explore some worlds Sora went to…"

"And thus you will continue to do that." Yen Sid finished, resting his hands on the table. Mickey looked to Donald and Goofy, both having somber expressions. "Mickey, you take Donald and Goofy with you to explore Olympus and Deep Jungle."

"Why those worlds?" Mickey asked, not questioning his master but just wondering what's at those worlds. Yen Sid smiled at his pupil, encouraging him to answer for himself. Mickey made an 'oh', nodding. "Olympus has the underworld, so maybe we will find out if he's trying to bring someone back. And Deep Jungle…"

"Was one of the first places where we butt heads, isn't that right Donald?" Goofy said fondly, with Donald wincing at his past self. He fought with Sora so much on their first adventure… The wizard and knight stood tall, making a salute before rushing out the door. Mickey just chuckled, waving goodbye to Riku and Kairi, ready to complete his mission.

Now alone with the man, Yen Sid grew a more serious expression. "There are more keyblade wielders. Ones that this 'Sora' has instructed. Keep your eyes open for warriors in masks." Riku and Kairi nodded, with Yen Sid dismissing them. The man just looked through the Book of Prophecies, or what's left of it. "Sora…" Closing the book, he let Laurium back in, the man having his arms folded. "Now, to start your training…"

* * *

Riku and Kairi were leaving the tower, both having worried thoughts dancing through their minds. Yen Sid seems so… Casual about the situation, when he should have been pulling a 'Code 11' or something. At least Riku felt that's what the man's reaction was. "Maybe he was surprised Sora became a keyblade master?"

Kairi paused, tapping her chin. "I always felt he was one," Riku smirked at her answer, feeling the same. Yes, Sora nearly lost himself to the darkness, but it wasn't either his nor Riku's fault for Xehanort to strike how he did. Riku remembered fighting Sora in darkness-coated armor, feeling great fear. Telling Riku was getting lost in his thoughts, Kairi elbowed him and made Riku pout. "How about, we visit our friends in Land of Departure? I need to have Master Aqua give me pointers on my keyblade transformations anyway."

"Sure, it's not like we have a powerful older Sora running around or anything," Riku said sarcastically, earning a sharp frown from Kairi. "Sorry, just joking around. Let's ring them up first."

Riku took out his Gummi Phone, still having a hard time using the thing. _Why can't I just press a button and call someone? So many useless features here… _He scrolled through contacts and eventually found Aqua's, pressing the screen. It was dialing, with her image popping up… Along with Terra's. The two were very close to each other, with Riku's face turning a shade of red. "Uh…"

"Hello, Master!" Kairi took the phone and shouted, but she couldn't help but laugh. Aqua violently pushed Terra away and she collected herself. "You okay there Master? I didn't know you and Terra were…"

"No! ...Yes?" Aqua stuttered. Groaning was heard on her end. "Terra, sorry about that…" The man rubbed his face, walking into the camera. "You guys okay?"

"Heartless trouble?" Terra asked, with Riku shaking his head. "Huh, so just a visit to drop by. I would like to spar with you if it's not much trouble." The two warriors grinned at each other. Aqua smiled but she turned to Kairi's face, having a more serious expression.

"A talk, huh?" Aqua asked, with Kairi nodding. "I take it your quest for Sora hit a roadblock… It's fine, rest for a night or two at our home and you will feel refreshed." Kairi gave a thankful smile, but loud shouting from Aqua's end came up. "No Ven! Don't storm in until…" It was too late, Ven coming in and he grew dead silent. "...Sigh, I will call you back later. I gotta teach a young man that they can't storm in a room without knocking." The call didn't end, with Aqua lightly scolding Ven and Terra laughing, as if had this same conversation with her recently.

Riku and Kairi looked at one another, going into a laughing fit and hanging up the call. "Poor Ven…" Riku said in between laughs, wiping a tear away. Kairi patted her cheeks, trying to calm down enough to make the Gummi Ship liftoff. Now in the air and in space gently sailing, the two just smiled, excited to see their friends once more.

* * *

In the dark streets of Shibuya, Sora was oddly calm. Not encountering any threats whatsoever since taking out that dragon. "I still haven't found Joshua though… Did those guys give me the right directions?" Sora pondered, shrugging his shoulders and deciding fate will guide him. _That's always been helpful. _The young keyblade wielder thought. But something crashed through a wall, Sora rolling away at just the right time.

"Come on!" Aced barked, a young man in a mask spitting out blood right at the bear-masked man in response. Growling at the disgraceful act, he charged into him using… _A keyblade?! _Sora rushed to the young man's aid, blocking the attack. Aced grinned at this new challenger. "Finally, you show yourself Sora."

"You know my name?" Sora asked in shock, sliding away before another heavy strike came his way. The young man stood up, spinning the dagger in his hands. "Here." Sora passed the young man a Hi-Potion. He looked at the potion, then Sora, before slugging the entire thing down. "You okay?"

"Yeah… Thanks, Sora." The spiky hair hero gave his toothy smile, making the young man smile. Looking at Aced, the masked man spun his blade around. "Name's Joker, so ready to ravage this poser?"

"You know it!" Sora charged into the fight, leaping in the air using his Hero's Origin keyblade, transforming it into a shield after a three-hit combo in its base form. Right as Aced charged into Sora, the keyblade wielder blocked it, allowing a massive fist the size of a god's shooting out of it. Aced took the strike head-on, with Joker leaping off of Sora's shoulders and using his pistol to land a few shots. Aced blocked them all, but it was a distraction. Joker's smirked, vanishing in a blur and landed a lethal strike on Aced's side. "Woah, calm down man, we don't want to kill the man."

"After getting beat up by this fella for a good couple hours…" Joker cracked his neck, red-gloved hand touching his mask. "I'm ready to go all out." Sora gulped nervously, seeing some of Riku in Joker. _This isn't a good thing… _Sora mused, switching to his Crystal Blades and charging into Aced. Using various ice strikes and a wide-spread Blizzardza, Aced was frozen in place.

Joker saw his chance, ripping his mask off and shouting 'Persona!', a dashing figure emerging from pure blue flames. Sora was at awe as the phantom unleashed his Dream Needle spell, making Aced break out of the ice and fall to his knees. "You… Froze me…" Aced passed out, mumbling how something about his master being annoying.

"What's with all the noise…" Ira came out of the building Joker broke out of, Sora realizing it was a dojo. _Oh boy… _Sora walked up to the horse-masked man, giving a sheepish grin. "Oh, just you. You have munny to pay for the damages?"

"I got this." Sora passed Ira what was left on his person, with Ira smiling pleased with the amount. "I sorta need some munny back…"

"Then tell your friend to loan you some. It's going to take time to repair this building." Ira turned around, having a hard time hiding a smirk. Joker was going to walk up to Ira, but Sora held him back. "You are a hero? Heroes don't attack innocent civilians."

"And you are better?" Joker snapped but Sora guided him away from the building, uncaring of being broke now. A fair distance away from the slowly waking bear man, Joker eventually calmed down, putting his hands within oddly large pockets. "...Sorry about that. Usually more composed."

"It's fine. I completely get why you would be annoyed." Sora said empathetically, though a question lingered in his mind. "You single-handedly fought _two _keyblade wielders?" Joker smirked, making Sora send one back. "I like you man, got that hero's spirit inside you."

"Sound like my pal Ryuji." Joker sighed, looking up at the sky. "This place reminds me too much of Mementos or a palace. Being in one for so long… Away from my team…" He frowned, with Sora patting his shoulder.

"I'm away from my friends too, I understand man." They both walked in silence, seemingly with no end-destination in mind. Trying to break the silence, Sora asked a question. "What was that your blue fire summon."

"Summon?" Joker asked, but realized Sora reminded him of a video game character back at home. "Ah, right. That's my Persona Arsene. We've been through a lot of tough scrapes together, haven't we…" Joker closed his eyes, seemingly having a short conversation with the spirit. Opening them, he elbowed Sora. "And that sword you have isn't too bad either. Where did you get it?"

"I got my Keyblade a long time ago, during my first adventure." Sora started, summoning the Kingdom Key. "It looks like this normally, but when I put one of these on…" Sora put the frying pan keychain, it transforming into Ever After. "It changes form. It can turn into a ton of cool things, thanks to the clothes I'm wearing." Sora tugged at his hoodie, making Joker whistle in impressment. "Though, I tried getting the Ultimate Keychain before my last adventure ended… Was so close getting the last synthesis materials…"

"If Futaba were here, she would be geeking out right now." Sora raised an eyebrow. "She's like my little sister in a way. I imagine she would say your from her favorite video game or something." Sora sighed, folding his arms. _Just like Woody's world… _

Snapping his fingers, he took out the card Adam gave him. "Since you've been here for a while, know about this guy?" Joker took the card, smirking at how he helped design the logo for Joshua.

"I know the kid, he's helped me adjust to this city. A friend of yours?" Sora nodded, with Joker smirking. "Well, he sent me to that dojo to take out those two masked idiots. I was told they are the reason a lot of us heroes are in this world."

Sora paused, his mind going back to Luxu's 'Seven Bad Guys' comment. "Really now…" Sora's eyes narrowed, mind forming ideas. Even Vanitas was brainstorming in the recesses of Sora's mind. "Well, let's visit our friend Joker…"

"Ren." The masked hero held out his hand, with Sora blinking. "Uh, that's my real name. Don't tell anyone, got it?" Sora nodded, shaking his hand. Letting it go, Sora saw a… New Keychain appears in his hand. Joker studied it, seeing the Phantom Thieves logo on it. "Well, I'll be…" Sora put it on and his keyblade changed form.

The blade had a black hilt, with the blade itself having a black and white coloring. The edge of the weapon now mirrored Joker's mask, the eye holes glowing a bright blue. "Thanks for the new keyblade Ren." Ren simply smirked, the two heroes venturing to Joshua's hideout.

* * *

"Come on Lea, you getting soft on me?" Roxas smirked, holding his Oathkeeper teasingly, making Lea smirk at his best friend. The older man charged into Roxas, using the Oblivion Keyblade that Roxas was kind enough to loan until Lea summoned a new weapon; Yen Sid said he still had potential. Xion was cheering for Roxas, her Kingdom Key proudly in the air while Hayner and Olette were intently watching. Isa just smirked at the sight, enjoying a cup of tea that Little Chief made for him. "You're getting this Pence?"

"You bet!" The photo-happy teen kept taking pictures, with Lea sighing. "What? Best to record…"

"I know that kid, but I'm getting my butt handed to me here." Lea groaned, rolling away from a powerful frontal strike. Lea spotted Merlin enjoying tea with Isa, wanting to throw Roxas' Oblivion at the wizard for his _great teachings_. His mind wondering too much, Lea was faced with a powerful Fira strike.

Roxas paused, seeing Lea take the hit without blocking. "You okay…" Lea just laughed, brushing the fire off his shoulder. "Right, you could bathe in fire." Roxas spun his Oathkeeper around, getting ready for a Raid strike. The young keyblade wielder was surprised at himself, throwing the Raid Strike coated with ice. Lea blocked the attack, a knowing smile forming on his face. Memories of their Organization days played in his mind, frequent sparring matches with Axel always winning. Now, the tables clearly turned, through Lea figured it was because he couldn't use his chakrams anymore. Instead, he's locked to just keyblades, which Lea didn't mind at all…

Blocking another Raid Strike though made the man wished for his favorite twin weapons though. "Come on Lea!" Xion shouted, getting both her friend's attention. "I could kick both your butts!" Roxas made a nearly-swooned expression, Lea landing a sneak strike using the Oblivion. Xion made a gasp, with Roxas glaring at his friend.

"What? Not my fault you were distracted." Lea teased. Roxas cracked his neck and stood up tall, with Xion standing by his side. "Wait a second… I don't think I could take _both _of you on."

"Too late." Xion and Roxas said in unison, charging into Lea with playful expressions. The couple made careful slashes as if they were one person. Lea would never say it to their faces, but they sorta _were _one person at one point. The thought was charming to him though, blocking the attacks with ease, his grip on the Oblivion feeling better now that he was used to the weapon's weight. Just as the couple was going to land another block, a clap was heard. The small group paused, turning to the source of said clapping.

"My… I didn't expect you guys to be fighting still." The hooded man said teasingly, the voice strangely familiar to Roxas. But Lea and Isa just groaned, yet _another _Organization member coming out of the woodwork. Lea gave Roxas back his keyblade and just threw an arm around the man. "Woah, wait a sec, I need…"

"Look, me and my friends are sick of the _traumatic _experience that is being an Organization member. Just look at poor Xion there." The hooded man saw the girl actually shake, holding her keyblade in fear and holding Roxas' arm for dear life. Turning to Roxas, seeing the raw fire in the boy's blue eyes, he gulped knowing _that _look. "Yep, no one really likes ya. So get out of here before Papa Lea knocks you into next week."

"Fine, I try to say hello to an old friend or two, then swiftly get kicked out. I see how it is…" The man said defeated, having an almost offended tone, fixing his black cloak. "Tell the two keyblade wielders they should be looking for their brother instead of goofing around."

"You know where Sora is?" Roxas asked blue eyes narrowed. Xion joined her boyfriend, holding her keyblade in a more confident grip now that her fear was somewhat subsided. The other friends were simply confused, but Isa just rubbed his head, as if having a headache for some reason. The hooded man smirked beneath his hood and vanished into a corridor of darkness. Lea just rubbed his spiky red hair, with Xion's eyes growing wide like dinner plates. "You okay? I won't let anyone hurt us ever…"

"You felt him too, didn't you?" Xion asked pleadingly, with Roxas giving a weak nod. Lea walked up to his friends, giving a worried expression. "He knows where Sora is. Should we tell Kairi and Riku?" Roxas shook his head, making Xion pout.

"If this jerk is bothering us now, imagine how many times Kairi and Riku bumped into him?" Roxas folded his arms, sitting down near the Bistro. Xion and Lea joined him. "We wait until they call us, then do something. Besides..." Roxas elbowed Lea. "We gotta train our pops here how to use a keyblade again."

"Haha, very funny buddy." Lea groaned, with the three friends laughing. Isa just smiled, though part of him felt some worry. The voice felt oddly familiar, but it couldn't be… Sighing, he looked at his tea and snapped his fingers. A little friendly rat showed up and took the cup, ready to come back with another refill. Merlin just was so lost in the papers, he didn't realize his satchel was opened.

* * *

The Master of Masters now sat up at the clock tower, enjoying a sea salt ice-cream. Throwing off his hood, the brown-spiky haired master just smiled, enjoying the taste. "No wonder Roxas ate these things like candy, they are just so good." Sora looked at the sky, feeling the sun's warm rays coating his cloaked-covered body. "I know showing up like that wasn't very nice, but gotta lower my profile." Sora licked his ice cream once more. "Then again, how Xehanort's meddling didn't shatter time itself, still baffles me."

Looking at the book in his lap, it shows the cover of a younger Sora holding hands with Pooh, the man smiled, brushing his gloved finger over the old cover. Opening the book, he vanished in a puff of light, going into the book to see an old friend. As the light faded, Sora landed on a text-covered page, taking off his cloak and making it vanish, he slowly walked toward a tree, feeling the world turn a new page.

Finding a lonely bear sitting, watching the moon shine in the sky, Sora felt a warm tear slide down his cheek, wiping it away. "Oh bother... I am missing something but don't know what…" Sora sat down next to the bear, the poor thing not realizing someone was next to him. "Mhm?" The bear turned around, his black eyes giving the happiest expression. "Sora…"

"Hey Pooh, sorry it's been long." Sora smiled, letting the bear sit in his lap. They watched the moon shine brightly, warm stars shining in the sky. "You've been a wise little bear, can you help me with something?"

"Sure thing Sora, though I'm just a silly ol'bear." Pooh replied, his voice calm and relaxed. Sora just enjoyed the warm breeze of the 100 Acre Woods, collecting his own thoughts. "You are in trouble?"

"No, but I'm doing things that… I think are hurting people." Sora said honestly, blue eyes looking at the sky. "I have to do this, to make things right." Pooh stayed silent, hopping off of Sora and pointing to the man's heart. "Huh?"

"Remember what you told me?" Sora smiled, poking Pooh's chest in response. The bear giggled, falling on his back and Sora helping him back on the log. "Oh bother, didn't realize you have gotten bigger."

"Call it a growth spurt," Sora replied coolly. Pooh and Sora just stayed silent, watching the sky once more. "It feels strange seeing all my old friends again, and having these conflicting feelings." Pooh patted Sora's arm, assuring him something. "No wonder your home is so bright, you and your friends are innocent."

"My, that's a word Owl said one time and I still don't understand it…" Pooh questioned, tapping his forehead. Sora smirked, patting Pooh's head. "You know what it means?"

"It means, you got a big heart inside you." Sora felt his mind drift to better times… Exploring the worlds as a starry-eyed young man, helping everyone he met, and wondering when he will see his best friends again. "I… I wish I had a big heart too."

"But you do," Pooh assured, with Sora shaking his head. Meeting Pooh at face level, he gave the bear a warm hug. "You're leaving again?"

"How can I leave, when I'm already here?" Sora pointed to Pooh's heart, the bear giving a jolly smile. "I don't know if I'm coming back, but if you encounter a redhead and spiky grey-haired kid, be nice to them." Sora was about to leave but paused, digging through one of his pockets. He gave Pooh something that made the bear's eyes light up. "I found some honey on the way here, so figured you would want it."

"My tummy is a bit rumbly," Pooh replied, already getting his hands dirty with the honey. Sora left before Pooh could say goodbye again, one of his eyes tearing up at the pure innocence this world offered. As he left the pages and hopped out of the book, Sora threw back on his cloak and made a Corridor. He hopped inside it, then made one appear right near Marlin, the book hovering toward the table.

Marlin put down his paper, making an 'oh' sound and putting it back in his satchel. Sora shook his head. _No wonder Kairi died and Lea wasn't strong enough, how is this man a teacher? _He went back into the corridor, venturing to his next destination.

* * *

Back in Shibuya, Sora and Ren eventually found a somewhat dinky pub. Sora raised an eyebrow at this, the name '7th Heaven' confusing him. Ren just snickered, remembering helping a black haired woman out to put the sign-up. "Come on, I think some friends of yours are in here."

"Sure…" Sora said uneasy, never going into a bar before. He remembered Eugene telling him about the Ugly Duckling during his adventure in Corona and swore he saw one or two pubs around San Fransokyo, but never went inside one. Going into the bar, he was surprised at how large it was. Various tables littered around, though somewhat broken and held together by either tape or odd magic. A strong smell from the corner, with a man in red tattoos yelling 'boy' until he passed out with his magic ax stuck on the table, made Sora snicker to himself, though something told him to stay _far _away from that man.

Looking to his left, Sora saw a jukebox playing a really catchy techno beat. Right next to the jukebox, was two friendly faces. "Neku! Shiki!" Sora ran up to them, with Ren snickering. Fixing his mask, the young man sat down while Sora embraced his friends in a warm hug. Neku was surprised at not only the embrace but seeing Sora at all, fixing his oversized headphones and patting his back awkwardly. Shiki just giggled, fixing her hat and hugging Sora back. Letting go of his friends, Sora's infectious smile was the biggest it's been since landing in this strange city. "I can't believe you guys are here! I know Joshua is somewhere around here but didn't know this was your home."

"You could say that." Neku chimed in, having a somewhat bored expression, though Sora remembered the boy really was just to himself often. "I'm just confused on why _you're _here. Don't get me wrong, glad to see you again."

"Maybe he's like Joker and the other heroes," Shiki suggested, with Neku shrugging his shoulders. She started tapping her foot to the music, making humming sounds. Getting lost in the music, she started walking around and dancing to the beat. Sora smirked at Neku but he shook his head, not playing into his suggestion. Shiki didn't care, dragging the reluctant boy and started dancing with him. Sora spotted Joker and sat next to him, looking at his friends and feeling some newfound joy.

"You know them?" Joker asked, with Sora nodding. "Huh, so this isn't your first adventure exploring new worlds, huh?" Sora nodded once more, turning around and he nearly fell over at the face he saw. Joker held in a laugh, with the black-haired woman frowning at him. "Come on Tifa, even though I got a gal back at home, I fell for your charms too."

"Very funny…" Tifa replied, seeing Sora slowly sit back down. "This is a surprise. How are you doing sweetie?" Sora blinked, surprised to see her not in her black coat-ish look. Instead, she wore a short white shirt with an overall-skirt. She still donned her gloves though, fixing a glass of water for Sora.

"I'm okay, but if you're here…" Tifa sighed, making Sora frown. "Sorry you haven't found Cloud." Tifa shrugged her shoulders, giving Joker a glass of ale. The young man nodded in thanks, slugging the thing down before patting Sora on the back.

"I don't know where this place is, but I figured since this place reminds me a lot of Midgar, I could reopen my bar." She smirked at Joker, the man tipping his head as if he wore a hat. "This guy here helped me set a new 7th Heaven up, along with some additional help." As if on cue, Joshua sat down next to Sora, giving the Keyblade Wielder a somber expression. "Don't look at Sora as if he died."

"I sorta… Did though?" Sora admitted, making a sheepish laugh. Joker spat out his drink, giving Sora a dumbfounded look. "I forgot to mention that, huh?"

"You… You aren't a Persona though." Joker thought aloud, with Sora blinking. "Tifa, I might need another glass to process this." Tifa shook her head and laughed.

"You can summon demons, tattoo man over there fought gods and I'm pretty sure that green kid sitting alone traveled through time." The young man in green looked up from his isolated sat, feeling he was called out. "Oh, and my boyfriend changes from being a depressed mope too dressing as a woman sometimes too. Yeah, I've seen everything."

"Cloud dressed as a woman?" Sora asked in confusion, the mental image… Simply _not _working in his mind, more so with how moody the warrior normally is. Tifa laughed, sighing at her own humor and looking toward Joshua. Neku and Shiki walked up to him as well, a little group now formed near the bar area. "So you know what's going on here?"

"Well… You _did _wake up our home from it's sleeping state, but…" Joshua gestured around him, the various heroes and what not gathered in the bar. "...You also opened up our world to stragglers. I don't know _how _or _why_, but now our home is a haven for lost travelers."

"And some of them just show up, then leave," Shiki added, folding her arms. "I remember a blue guy speeding around a few weeks ago before vanishing. Even that man over there…" She pointed to the passed out man in tattoos. "...Had his son leave but he remained."

"I woke up here and was told there are 'seven bad guys' to take out. Then, I don't know what happens." Joshua looked to Joker, with the latter putting his glass down. "Are those masked guys 'bad guys' too?"

"Yes, and no," Joker replied, rubbing his forehead. "They… Train heroes that come here, but have a power none of us have. I've been spying on them, which is a specialty of mine." Joker smirked, his expression knowing. "I've seen them make odd portals of light, which they create with those keyblades."

"Keyblade…" Sora summoned his weapon, wondering if he had that power too. "I know that black guys in coats can use these things called 'Corridors of Darkness' and travel using that. But you need to be a Nobody to access those." Sora tapped his chin. "...Or have _been _a nobody or touch darkness…"

Sora stood up, digging through his pocket. He found a card, the very one Luxlord gave him. Sora handed it to Joshua, the boy studying the object. "Mmm… I can feel a strange power within this… Mind if I hold on to it Sora?" Sora shrugged his shoulders, with Joshua putting it in his pocket. "Until we figure out something, how about you get some rest?"

"Sounds great, I've been wandering around here for the past few hours." Sora yawned, stretching his back. Tifa giggled at the sight and vaulted over the bar counter. She gestured Sora to follow her, with the Keyblade Hero and his friends following. They went through a side door of the bar, finding a set of stairs. Tifa was silent as she guided her allies toward some doors, finding a specific one, 104.

"Hey! You in there Yozora?" She shouted, with Sora jumping at the name. _Yozora… He's a real person? _The door opening, the black-haired man frowned, his body looking tired. Sora was yet again surprised how similar to Riku he looked. _Is everyone similar to Riku? _Sora joked to himself. "Got a new roommate."

"I'm never going to be used to sharing a room…" Yozora groaned, turning to Sora. "So, you're 'the one', huh?" Sora blinked in confusion, with Yozora sighing. "Come on in." Sora entered, wishing his friends goodbye for the time being. The door closed with Sora surprised at four beds being in the oddly cramped room. "Yeah, we are sharing with Neku and that robot over there."

"I'm not a robot, I'm an _android_." A white-haired man said tiredly, fixing his blindfold and leaning in his bed. "Name's 9S. A pleasure to meet you Sora." Sora held out his hand, with 9S sitting up to shake it. "...You're human too, but I can tell you have a lot of magic in you."

"Huh, yeah, I'm human." Sora turned to Yozora, who was sitting down in his bed, looking defeated. "You seem down about something." Yozora scoffed as if Sora was asking a stupid question. Feeling the hostility, Sora frowned. "I'm not in the mood to be friendly either I guess." Sora hopped on an empty bed and laid down. _If people don't want to be my friend, not my problem. _Sora thought, the thought surprising to the hero. Normally, Sora was bothered if people didn't take a shining to him. But, being on yet _another _adventure, Sora couldn't help but be a bit tired. _Maybe tomorrow we can smooth things over. _Sora closed his blue eyes, thinking of himself and Kairi seeing the vast ocean of Destiny Islands. _I will see you soon Kai…_

* * *

**_blackpackager - The idea I was playing with regarding Vanitias was taking what he said at face-value (he is Sora's shadow, thus will always linger around). Sora calling out/accepting this side of himself is logical if he's pushed to a limit. _**

_**Spartan719 - As we've discussed in PM's, I made sure to fix my mistake. And for all those readers wondering who the KHx characters are... I will be sure to explain them the best I can. As even I need to do more research before opening that section of the series lore. **_

_**TaitanoRules555 - He sorta did make an appearance, he showed in in Chapter 4 (Awakening). As his own person, well, you will have to wait and see. **_

_**redlox2 - Oh boy do I have ideas in store for worlds... And you do get a glimpse at the Master of Master's true intentions. But this chapter will likely add a wrinkle or two to your image of the man. **_

_**prince of underbrush - Trust me, he's very aware of what he's doing and this chapter does explain your point somewhat.**_

_**Sentinel07 - Yeah, I noticed too. I think my issue is that I'm releasing chapters so frequently, I forget to fully edit them. I made sure to fix the errors of Chap 9 and this chapter shouldn't have too many/any issues at all. Glad you liked chap nine though :).**_

_**H.R.C. Stanley - Thank you for the kind words :). **_


	11. The Lost Dandelion

_**Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter. This follow's Sora adventure in Shyibua and we meet a surprising new friend. Review responses are at the bottom. **_

* * *

Deep in the realm of slumber, Sora was tossing and turning in his bed. The Keyblade Hero was surprised to find shelter at all on this new quest; normally adventures are a one-and-done kind of deal. Sora vaguely recalled an adventure with… cards and memories, but the hero always thought that one to be some huge nightmare during his cold storage sleep. But clenching the soft fabrics that Tifa was kind enough to provide, Sora felt his mind drift to a very familiar location.

His vision was slowly clearing up, seeing himself standing on the Station of Awakening. "Surprised to see you again so soon." Sora blinked, letting the bright light adjust to his surroundings. He saw Vanitias, donning his helmet and wilding the Void Gear. "Chop chop, don't have long to work with you." Sora followed his brother, the two walking through bright light. Coming out of it, Vanitias shivered at the sensation, with Sora elbowing him. "Yeah, I'm still getting used to your light. Seriously, how is one heart _filled _with light after everything…"

"I don't know either," Sora said honestly, making Vanitias nearly drop his weapon. Sora turned around, summoning his Kingdom Key. "What? Do you assume I just think about friendship all the time? I wanna go home and be with Kairi. I never asked for another adventure, but here we are…" Sora gestured to wherever they were… Which was some strange forest? "Huh… Are we in Corona?"

"I don't think so champ," Vanitias answered, his eyes narrowed at the incoming mechanical monster coming their way. It was shoddily put together, with various sun symbols all over it. "...I don't remember that forest having mechs." He readied his void gear, standing next to Sora. "Get ready to fight!"

"On it." Sora replied, clicking on the keychain he gotten from Ren. His keyblade vanished, then reappeared in its new form. "Can't wait to try out my Convect Chain." Vanitias blinked at Sora's nickname for the weapon. "...I name all my keychains, don't judge me."

"I can judge you all I want." Vanitias rolled away from a powerful claw strike. Grinning, Vanitias vanished in a puff of darkness before reappearing right at the mech's head, landing a powerful strike with the Void Gear, it slowly changing its form. Jumping off the mech, Vanitias slides next to Sora, looking at his morphing weapon. Now within his hand, Vanitias saw two short daggers, each sharp and having a yin-yang symbol on their hilts. "...Well, guess I got your powers too now." Spinning the daggers, he threw one at the mech, warping to it and landing a series of phantom slashes before forming the daggers into a single sword, slicing the mech clean in half.

"Nice!" Sora congratulated, rolling away from an attack and letting power flow to the Convect Chain. _Okay! _Sora flicked the weapon, it forming into a ball-and-chain alit with blue flames. Adjusting to the weight, Sora made various swings, nearly hitting Vanitias before landing a powerful strike on the other mech coming his way. Sora smirked, feeling his weapon having one more power up its sleeve. Leaping in the air, he flicked the weapon, it changing form once more. The chains snaked around Sora's arms, the ball covering his fists, with Sora's attire even mirroring a prisoner. Landing with grace, Vanitias just watched as Sora shot powerful punches, or rather, steel balls from his hands. Acting like extended-fists, Sora kept punching rapidly before he landed one final strike, it has the force of a thousand spirits. The mech was simply ravaged, making Sora smirk, not unlike his new friend. His clothes turning back to their traditional red-and-black hoodie, Vanitias folded his arms, pleased at his brother's ruthless fighting.

"You got a lot of anger in you brother." Vanitias clapped his hands, seemingly to mock Sora, but the hero took it as genuine praise, making a sheepish grin. "Now, what about our current situation?" The forest vanished, Sora feeling the grass turn into the glass from his Station of Awakening. Sitting down on the cold glass, Sora rubbed his chin, Vanitias sighing and sitting next to him. Mirroring Sora's look, but with a scowl, Sora couldn't help but smirk at him. "I'm thinking too, can't I mirror you somewhat?"

"And give me ammo to call you a loser too?" Sora teased, earning an eye roll from Vanitias' red eyes. "But I don't know honestly. That clearly isn't just Neku's home. It's something else."

"My thoughts exactly." Vanitias pondered. "Do you think there is a reason we were sent to our personal hell?" Sora raised an eyebrow. "Well, personal hell for me anyway. I would prefer a dark pit where I can ponder my existence."

"And you wonder why Ven feels you are a charmer." Sora teased once more, earning a good-natured grin from Vanitias. "But, I guess it's because I'm a fallen hero. A lot of heroes are in that city, so maybe…"

"That can't be it." Vanitias interrupted, but Sora simply sighed, unsure what to answer with. "I feel you waking up, so when you get some zzz's, let me know." Vanitias got up, stretching his arms. "I will ponder…"

"In the dark…" Sora added, making Vanitias make his eye twitch somewhat. Ignoring Sora, he continued.

"...What we should do next. Just know that you can use my Void Gear." He passed Sora a keychain, making Sora blink. "What? I can use all of yours. Why not let you use mine when I'm 'sleeping'?" Sora gave a toothy smile, making Vanitias scoff. "Yeah, think I'm being nice to you brother. Have fun missing Kairi."

"You little…" Sora was going to glare at him but light overtook his senses.

* * *

Sora rolled out of his bed, making Neku groan in annoyance. "Keep it down Sora…" Yozora was soundly sleeping, unfazed by the racket. 9S _couldn't _sleep, so he just got up and helped Sora to his feet.

"Thanks…" Sora said groggily. "I had the most interesting dream…" 9S sat back down in his bed, giving Sora an inviting smile. "I was talking with a dark version of myself, fighting some mechs."

"Ah, you are part of the mission too," 9S suggested, tapping his chin. Sora tilting his head in confusion made the android sigh. "Sorry, guess I always think about fighting. Well, other thoughts have been clouding my mind but…"

"Yeah yeah…" Yozora said in annoyance, now awake and annoyed at people being too loud. "You miss maid robot and regret telling her how you feel." He grabbed his sword and crossbow, fixing his jacket before touching the doorknob. "I miss my fiance too but I'm not complaining." He slammed the door, making 9S sigh at the situation.

"You have a partner?" Sora asked, with Neku throwing on his clothes in the background paying attention, though, with his headphones on, no one seemed to notice that. "I have one too, it's why I want to go home."

"Yeah, 2B is something…" 9S said fondly, though he slowly formed a frown on his face. "But I only have these… Fuzzy memories of missions we went on together as if I never backed up my memories to YoRHa." Sora sat down next to him, confused but engaged. "It's a big cloud server, to you know, store my memories. We androids get blown up often."

"You aren't getting a new body anytime soon," Neku commented, allowing himself to be part of the discussion. Sitting in his bed, which was a few feet across 9S', he smiled. "Adam can argument you though."

"Been thinking about that, but not sure if I would like my body getting major changes," 9S said seriously, with Sora patting his back. "Tell me, I overheard you talking about a keyblade in your sleep. Is that your weapon?" Sora nodded, summoning it in his hands, though he was surprised to see the Void Gear in his possession. _Well, guess Vanitias was serious about loaning me his. _"My… Your weapon is quite interesting… No sharp edge but it's magic makes it have the impact of a proper sword."

"If we are done geeking out, we got a mission to complete." Neku interrupted, though his tone was somewhat playful. "Come on, we got a mean cook that makes some amazing eggs." Sora patted his belly, feeling hunger come over him. 9S had a blank expression, with Neku folding his arms. "Those energy capsules you have aren't going to last man."

"Fair point, my body was given the ability to digest human food." He stood up, walking out of the room with Neku. Sora folded his arms behind his head, wondering what today would offer him.

* * *

Sora walked downstairs, looking around for the kitchen. _Where is it? I smell something amazing! _Memories of Little Chief's cooking clouded Sora's mind, the young hero wondering if he could try his hand cooking one of Little Chief's dishes. Then again, though he dearly missed Donald and Goofy, he winces at how many times his friends pointed out ingredients were around them. _Those guys mean well but… _Sighing, he was thankful at never having to hear the statement ever… "I'm sure my ingredients are around here somewhere…" _Why did I think that? _Sora moaned in his mind, seeing a tall man with blond hair with stylish sunglasses fixing up dishes. Working alongside him was a thuggish looking man, clearly displeased at being in the kitchen. Washing dishes in the background was another blond man, though seemingly younger and tapping his foot to something.

Finding to some empty tables, Sora was surprised to see a girl around his age sitting alone. She had long reddish hair, her white dress somewhat flowing. Sora even noticed various black ribbons on her dress, making her have a very otherworldly look. For a split second, he swore he saw Kairi in the girl's face, making his heart hurt. _No one should be alone. _Sora thought to himself, walking up to the table and sitting next to the girl. "Hello, my name's Sora."

She looked at Sora, eyes blue as his, giving a weak smile. "Hi. I'm Strelitzia." Sora gave a toothy smile, making the girl calm down her somewhat jumpy nerves. Poking at her eggs, her face seemed a bit lost. "Um… I don't really have any friends here. A lot of my friends are gone."

"I can understand," Sora said with understanding, not having Donald and Goofy at every turn was an odd feeling for him to get used to. "But I know some nice people that would love to meet you!" Sora gestured to Neku's table, the headphone-clad teen covering his face in pure embarrassment. Shiki spotted the girl and walked up to Sora's table. Joker joined her, with Neku sighing and eventually joining the crew. The empty table now filled with heroes, Strelitzia seemed happier, though she fidgeted in place for a moment. "...You aren't used to a lot of people, huh?"

"You could say that." She answered honestly, making short introductions to everyone in the table and vice versa. Everyone knowing one another, Joker rubbed his chin, looking between Sora and this new girl. "What's wrong?"

"You forming a Confidant with her Sora?" Sora tilted his head in confusion. "Huh, you likely don't feel it yet... " Joker felt a Persona awaken inside him after helping Sora out fighting Aced, so he figured that would happen to Sora as well. Ignoring his thoughts, he folded his arms. "Well, what are your skills Strez?"

She tapped her chin, memories of… A key sword or something, dancing in her mind. Focusing hard on these loose memories, a keyblade materialized in her right hand, making Sora nearly fall out of his chair. The weapon had a Star Keychain, with its edge being of two stars joined together. The amount of bright blues and golds on the weapon was a sight to behold, the moon tip on the keyblade finishing the picture. "You can use a keyblade?!" Sora shouted, making the girl somewhat move back. "S-Sorry, just surprised to see another one like me here." Sora summoned the Kingdom Key, resting it in his lap.

Memories of a boy with the very weapon popped in her mind, being in a heavenly location, said boy promising someone will find her… "You're him…" She said in surprise, hugging Sora suddenly. "You kept your promise!"

"Huh…" Sora blinked, unsure how to react. Joker gave him a smirk, Sora shooting a dark frown back. _I have a girl back home… _He just pats her back, letting the girl unload all her emotions before she released her grip. "How do I know you?"

"I remember you being in that heaven-looking place." She said with confidence, with Sora's eyes widening. _It makes sense… I had to pass that place before coming here… _Sora theorized in his head, but put that thought away for the moment. "But why are you here? We are in the realm of light, aren't we?"

"Not even five minutes and you have a girl holding your arm," Yozora said with slight annoyance, coming to the table and putting two trays down. "Got you some eggs Sora, figuring that you need protein to wake up that stupid head of yours."

"Gee, thanks." Sora spat back playfully, figuring Yozora being a jerk was his way of being nice. _Or I'm just seeing a half-glass fill situation. _Regardless, Sora scooted over, letting Yozora sit down with his food. "And what do you mean?" Yozora pointed to Sora's left arm, the boy dumbly looking at the sight. "Oh! Uh…"

Strelitzia let go, her face heating up. "S-Sorry…" She said quickly, with Sora waving his hand as nothing happened. "I didn't think the realm of light had so many heroes without keyblades. Maybe your weapons are what they turned into decades later?"

"...Where are you from?" Neku asked in surprise, with Shiki interested in the girl's style. Strelitzia rubbed her arm, memories slowly forming in her head, or what's left of them.

"I was in a Union… With people like me, being a leader of a group. I made a good friend and then someone…" Her memories ended at laying on the ground with her Spirit, the light slowly fading. Sora frowned, with Vanitias telling him someone clearly hurt the girl based on her incomplete story.

"Well, seems like we got a mystery to solve. And Sae is nowhere in sight, so can't help you there." Joker said in defeat, taking a sip of his coffee. He turned to 9S, now finally joining them. "Didn't see you coming pal."

"I think you are referencing something," 9S commented, with Joker shrugging his shoulders. "Oh, you are a human too." He reached out his hand to Strelitzia. "I'm 9S and I defend humanity."

"Nice to meet you." She said in a chipper tone as if she didn't tell a story about her murder or something. Sora saw a lot of Kairi in the girl, which really confused him. _But if she's like Kairi, then she might not be properly trained. _Sora didn't hate the wizard, but he would be lying if he said there wasn't some anger toward Merlin. _He didn't train Kairi enough. _She noticed Sora looking at her intently, blinking in slight confusion. "Is something wrong, Sora?"

"I want to see how good you are with the keyblade." Sora said honestly, his smile gone and expression stern. "I lost friends cause they didn't know how to use the keyblade right. Is it okay we train after breakfast?"

Strelitzia smiled, nodding in excitement. "Sure!" Joker made a knowing snicker, picking up his tray and standing up.

"Good luck Sora, I will meet up with Joshua and figure out what's our next move. You kids have fun out there." Sora simply sighed, remembering Donald and Goofy teasing him about Kairi often during their quest fighting the first Organization XIII. Shiki giggled and asked Neku if they could watch the training, earning a disinterested nod. 9S just clasped his hands together, intently listening in on the conversation.

* * *

"You guys want to train?" Tifa asked Sora and newcomer Strelitzia, the gym near the bar never occupied. "I mean… I know my fair share of grinding but you just had a day of rest Sora, don't you want to take it easy?"

"Not when anything could strike us here," Sora answered, folding his arms. "Besides, Strez has a keyblade and I'm sure she wants to get stronger too." She nodded, her blue eyes filled with excitement. Tifa smiled at the girl, sighing and leading the two into the gym. It wasn't very well put together, just a few punching bags, a torn up mat and the walls have chipped paint.

"What are people in my gym Tifa?" A loud voice boomed, with Sora summoning his keyblade ready on the defensive. Tifa sighed, folding her arms and letting Barrlet come toward them. The tall black man, machine gun attached to his right hand studied Sora and calmed down. "Oh, this is the punk you told me about."

"Yeah, and keep scaring my customers off like that." Tifa lightly scolded, making Barrlet mumble something under his breath. Tifa left the room, with Barrlet studying the two keyblade wielders.

"So, you can use a keyblade, huh punk?" Sora summoned his weapon, lugging it over his shoulder. "Well, this place is yours till you and your friend are done fight'n." He left the gym, with Strelitzia watching the man leave the room. Sora turned to her and held out his Hero's Origin keyblade.

"Ready?" Sora slides to the edge of the gym, with Strelitzia taking a deep breath. "You make the first strike whenever your…" Sora blocked a quick attack from Strelitzia, his eyes growing wide. The girl smirked, jumped back and started launching a series of ice spells. Sora flicked his keyblade into its shield form, blocking each strike, building up energy. Strelitzia charged into Sora, with the hero unleashing a goodly fist from the shield. Strelizia's eyes went wide, leaping back right before the attack could land.

Studying the room, Sora tried figuring out if he could use Flowmotion in the room. _Don't want to trash the gym… _Figuring it would be a waste, he used his basic keyblade combos. To Sora's surprise, he had a hard time keeping up with Strelitzia's offensive strikes, thankful he stuck with the Hero's Origin. "Come on Sora! I know you could do more!"

_Yeah, and hurt you. _Sora said in his mind, teeth clenched together. A few more strikes later and Sora nearly slammed against the wall. Feeling Vanitias laugh behind Sora's mind, the hero stood up, anger present on his face. _Fine. _Flicking his keyblade, Sora equipped the Nano Arms, charging into Strelitzia. Making strikes with his nanobot-infused sword, Strelitzia was actually having difficulty blocking. After a few minutes, they paused, huffing from exhaustion. "That…" Sora fell on his knees, wiping the sweat off his head. "That was a good fight."

"Yeah," Strelitzia replied, taking out two Hi-Potions. Sora caught one of them, the two keyblade wielders slugging the potions down. "You're pretty good." Sora made a toothy smile, Strelitzia smiling back. Looking in through a nearby window, was Luxu folding his arms in amusement.

"Well, guess Sora found a new friend…" Luxu relaxed on the building he was sitting on, looking up at the sky. "Let's see if the Master is aware of the girl."

* * *

**_TaitanoRules555 - I fixed the issues you had, so glad you pointed them out and enjoyed the chapter._**

_**blackpackager - Good points all around. Roxas as a character is quite interesting to see develop, so excited to work more with him. **_

_**redlox2 - Very good points and last chapter was meant to build up future chapters/lore. And I really did like diving into the other Warriors of Light. The Frozen World is going to be fun to explore later on ;).**_

_**Sentinel07 - Making references to things Sora dealt with in KH3 is great, with another reference to a famous line in the game in this very chapter ;). And Lea's keyblade is pretty interesting...**_

_**ThePsychoPath96 - Thank you for your comments :). **_


	12. Free Fall

_**Hello everyone, back at it again with another chapter. This one is pretty long and I'm happy with how it turned out. We got a ton of reviews, so will be sure to comment on all of them. But just know that updates will still be often, but when my mind wants to explore a lot, chapters will get longer. We are heading to our proper full-on world soon, so stay tuned :).**_

* * *

The Gummi Ship on auto-pilot, Kairi took a little nap on the way to Land of Departure. Riku was busy talking with Xion and Lea about their friendly black-coated friend running around Twilight Town recently, so he was too busy to notice Kairi tossing and turning in her captain's chair.

Feeling her body drift into the realm of sleep, she opened her eyes, seeing a vast field of snow, mountains tall as the eye could see. _Woah… This must be… _Before she could answer, Kairi saw Sora, _her _Sora, running alongside his friends to escape an avalanche. "Sora!" She shouted but got no reply, the boy seemingly ignoring her. _Are these his memories? _She pondered, but seeing the mound of snow coming her way, Kairi dashed toward the nearest tree and clung to it like a cat afraid of water. Her eyes saw the river of snow slide toward Sora, her fear for his safety slowly vanishing as she saw him comically jump on Goofy's shield, the three half-pints screaming in equal terror and excitement as they slid down the mountain.

Kairi spotted something on her right though, a location completely unmoving or fazed by the river of snow. Sliding down the tree, she walked toward it, the pathway of snow slowly vanishing and leaving a stone-covered trail instead. As she walked toward it, the world shifted from the harsh winter to the warm summer, as if she was in Corona once more. Brushing past some lose leaves, she saw Rapunzel's tower, with Sora and his friends dashing toward it in a fit of panic. _But they were… _She didn't bother finishing her thought, not bothering to question how dreams worked. Kairi paused, seeing her hero and his friends pause, seeing a dark robe slowly fall down from the tower. It exploded in a puff of darkness, transforming into a massive heartless. _I'm helping this time! _Kairi said with determination, charging into battle and leaping toward the thorny creature, but just as she landed a final blow, she nearly crashed into a wall.

"Ow…" She rubbed her head, seeing… Rapunzel's sun painting? Turning around, she gasped, seeing a scene that the girl told her about; Eugene dying in her arms. Her eyes drifted to Sora, her heart nearly shattering. The boy looked heartbroken, his blue eyes tearing up and conveying a rainbow of emotions. Donald and Goofy holding him as if he was going to break down himself, Kairi remembered the words Jack told her about Will's death, and the question he asked regarding that as well. Clenching her fist, she frowned anger at herself for not being alongside Sora on his adventure. "You… You saw too much."

"Yeah, he did." Kairi jumped at the oddly familiar voice, turning around and seeing Roxas, the boy looking like he had little sleep. He snapped his fingers and the room vanished, it turning into his room back in Twilight Town. "Ever since I became my own person, been having dreams of Sora's adventures." The boy rubbed his head. "Surprised Xion isn't here with me, we sometimes share the same dreams. Then again, she's still up hanging with Axel." Kairi sat down next to Roxas, her face clearly confused. "Don't act so shocked Kairi, your connection to Sora is _much _stronger than me, Xion or Ven's."

"But I thought you said…" Kairi started asking but Roxas simply laughed, a weak smile forming on his face. "Did… Did you happen to see…"

"Black Coat? Yeah, I saw him the other day. And I don't know what to make of that." Roxas admitted in frustration, his fists clenched into balls. "But I know what I felt. _That _was…"

"Sora," Kairi said firmly, with Roxas going silent. "I'm going to find him, and hopefully knock some sense into him," Roxas smirked at the comment, rubbing his neck. The two remained silent, looking out the window and seeing the warm sunset of Twilight Town coating the horizon. "Your home is beautiful… Happy you're your own person."

"Same," Roxas said without any hesitation, covering his heart and the newfound emotions it offered to make him feel alive. He let go and put a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "But are you okay?" Kairi bit her lip, somewhat tired of this question. Yes, she was hurt but so was Riku, Donald, and Goofy. "Sorry if I asked." Roxas read her face, turning away, folding his arms and looking at the wall before him. "I know what it feels like, being unable to do anything."

"It's a horrible feeling," Kairi said aloud, hugging herself and crunching up her knees. "I trained so much and… It was for nothing." Roxas shook his head, making the girl tilt her head. "Sora had to bring me back twice! How is…"

"You had to piece yourself back together, just like he did," Roxas said firmly, shivering at the memories. "That Final World place still gives me the shakes. Don't you forget I was still in Sora's heart during that? So _I _had to get pieced back together too." Kairi didn't even realize that, making her wince at what Namine had to likely go through.

They stayed silent, unsure of what to say next. Roxas sighed, getting up and walking toward the door. "You think he's a bad guy?" Roxas took a deep breath and opened the door.

"I know my brother. He is the furthest thing from a bad guy. But…" He turned around, giving a faint smirk. "Sora never dabbled with darkness. He always outshined it. Maybe actually dipping his feet in it, would help get him some much-needed edge." Walking out of the room, Kairi rested on the bed and wondered what Roxas meant by that. Sora had dark emotions from time to time, he's only human.

Kairi fell on the ground the bed vanishing and the girl now laying on her back. "Come on Roxas! You don't just make your room vanish like that!" Slowly standing up, she looked around, studying her ever-shifting surroundings. To her shock… She was in a strange town, windmills everywhere and buildings white as a pearl. Seeing a great clash in the sky, she witnessed Sora valiantly fighting Master Xehanort, anger present in his blue eyes.

"My, you have powerful darkness in you boy," Xehanort said teasingly, with Sora shooting a Firga strike in retaliation. The blast it the man head-on, making him crash into a building. Sora landed on the ground, with Donald casting Curga on the entire group. "Yes, keep feeding into your rage, that's what I need."

"For what?!" Sora screamed, his keyblade switching to his Nano Gear. Charging into the man, he made a flurry of slashes until he turned the weapon into a sword, using it's nano-bots to make various weapons appear out of thin hair. He finished the strike with a nano-infused fist striking Xehanort in the face. "You took everything from me!" Sora shouted once more, this making even Goofy and Donald unnerved. Sora slowly shifted into his Anti-Form, keyblade coated with darkness and launched into Xehanort like a warrior ready to lost it all.

Kairi just watched the display in complete shock, rushing up to Donald and Goofy, but them not even reacting made her hiss in frustration. "Sora! Calm down! I'm right _here_!" She shouted, but the boy didn't hear her, making Kairi frown at herself. Xehanort was getting ravaged, his armored form slowly chipping away, but he kept a proud smirk on his face the entire time. "Why are you doing this?" Kairi walked toward the man, not afraid at all. Sora kept beating him up, the man doing little to defend himself, so much so that after Sora's finisher and leaving Anti-Form, he paused fighting.

"You gotta calm down pal," Goofy said empathetically. Donald healed them all once more, giving Sora a knowing frown. Seeing Sora sigh, he switched to his Starlight Keyblade and the three saw Xehanort vanish, the man high above the now ruined city. The three ran after him, with Kairi about to join them until a near-static like interference unnerved her. Blinking, she now saw Sora and his friends watching Xehanort on his knees, her other friends beaming down out of nowhere as well.

_Must have been when everyone tried stopping Kingdom Hearts. _Kairi mused, gauging the room around her. She couldn't hear anything, everyone's mouths moving but no words escaping them. _That's odd…. _But she then put together that, this is Sora's dream. _He _is the one living through this. The boy looked dumbly at his hands, with Xenhort giving him the X-Blade. Having this powerful weapon, powered with the heart of his loved one… He clenched the blade and grit his teeth.

"You seriously going to let this bastard win? Even in our dreams?" Kairi saw a red figure walk next to Sora, the boy's face looking like the spitting image of him outside of vivid red eyes. "I can understand forgive and forget but he _killed our Kairi_. I'm surprised you let him live after that."

"I…" Sora started speaking, his hand shaking. "I… If I kill him, even in here, I let the darkness win." Vanitias made a face. "I mean, I let the darkness take _over _me." Vanitias sighed, understanding what Sora meant. "If I kill him here, then I can just take any life."

"You are thinking too much. If you aren't finishing the job, then I'll have fun fighting in Deep Jungle or…" Vanitias turned around, his red eyes growing wide. "Huh… You seeing this brother?" Sora turned around, his blue eyes wide like diamonds. He dropped the X-Blade and rubbed his eyes, wondering if he's living some sick joke. "You really Kairi? Cause my brother here gets odd dreams sometimes..."

"Wait…" She asked, pointing her fingers at the two of them. "You can hear me?" She couldn't say anything else, Sora crushing her with a powerful hug. "Sora…" She smiled, actually… _Feeling _him again, his sent… His warmth… She cried at this feeling, never wanting to let go.

"This is a horrible time to meet up, but we are going to wake up soon brother," Vanitias suggested, with Sora not listening. "...Fine, if you get yelled at for sleeping late, not my problem…" Kairi let go, wiping her face and looking at Vanitias. "...Hey. I'm Sora's Shadow more or less. Don't mind me."

"Where are you?" Kairi asked Sora, with the boy rubbing his neck. "Riku and I are looking for you! We visited the Caribbean and Corona." Sora's eyes blinked at this, making him show his toothy smile.

"You are finally seeing the worlds." Sora folded his arms, keeping his joyful smile. "Fun right? Seeing new places, making new friends." Kairi caught the slight tiredness in his voice but said nothing on it. _I want him home too. _"I'm in a place called Shibuya, though since I'm…" Vanitias coughed. "Sorry, _we're _dead." Vanitias nodded at the correction, Sora giving a faint smile at his brother. "Anyway, since we're dead, we are in a place with other heroes." Sora's head suddenly felt heavy, groaning in annoyance. "I… I think I'm waking up…"

"Yeah, feel Neku elbowing us and that jerk Yozora throwing water on our face. Smack one of them for me when we wake up will ya?" Vanitias vanished and gave Kairi a warm smile, with Sora trying to stand up straight.

"K-Kairi… I will be home… Soon…" Sora vanished, with Kairi feeling him vanishing through his fingertips once again. She would have cried if she didn't start vanishing too…

* * *

Kairi jolted from her seat, looking around nervously. She was surprised to not even be in the captain's chair, but rather, Riku was. She noticed a blanket covering her, keeping her warm during her slumber. "R-Riku? What happened?"

"Uh, you were having a nightmare, kept shouting Sora's name and we nearly crashed into some asteroid." She blinked, making a sheepish giggle in her defensive. "It's fine, we actually landed in Land of Departure." Riku got up and walked up to Kairi, kneeling down and putting both hands on her shoulders. "But what happened? Was it really a nightmare or…"

"It felt so real… I saw Sora's memories and he noticed me before he seemingly woke up." She stood up, hugging Riku. He just hugged her back, letting Kairi vent out all of her confused emotions. "He looked so… Torn. And tired, with some copy of him helping out." Riku rubbed his chin, more so with the last part. "I think… I know where he is now. He mentioned a place called Shibuya."

Riku's eyes went wide at the mention of that place, recalling some boy named Joshua helping Riku out during that whole Mark of Mastery disaster. "Mmm… Guess some of the sleeping worlds _are _around…" Pondering on simply _how _to head there, he just sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Well, that's a good clue right there. Maybe Master Aqua could give us some answers."

"Sounds good," Kairi replied, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Noticing Riku give a knowing smirk, Kairi pouted and lightly punched the Keyblade Master. "Come on… I'm tired, alright?" Rolling his eyes, Riku let Kairi out of the ship first, soon following her. Upon arrival, they were surprised at how… _Huge _the castle before them was. Riku shuttered at the place, feeling his time at Castle Oblivion flashing in his mind for whatever reason. This place looked _nothing _like that… Shaking off his discomfort, he joined Kairi as they walked past various training equipment, watching a little spirit instruct Ventus on proper keyblade swings.

"No! You have to hold the weapon like _this_!" The little spirit, looking somewhat like a humanoid cat, lightly scolded Ven. The boy ignored the spirit, continuing his back-handed strikes with intense speed. He landed a three-hit combo, with a spinning pillar almost colliding with Kairi before she blocked it with her Rosethorn. Kairi skidded back a bit, blinking at how fast her reflexes have become since her adventure started. Ven was lightly kicked by the little spirit, making the boy groaned in pain, but mostly just annoyance. The spirit was harmless as a baby kitten in Ven's eyes… Mostly. "See? If you aren't careful, you will hurt…" The spirit paused, seeing Kairi's keyblade. "You can use a keyblade? Great! Train Ven for me will ya? The kid can't even hold his weapon right."

"Can you stop ragging on me for once?" Ven begged, rubbing his head sheepishly. Kairi smiled, seeing Sora in Ven's place for a moment. _Reminds me of the training Sora had with Riku when we were kids. _Sora kept his bright smile no matter how many times he fell to Riku's wooden sword. "Hey Kairi, Riku. You guys here for the visit?"

"Yeah," Kairi answered, giving the boy a hug. He hugged back, patting her back. Letting go, he gave Riku a fist-bump with the two smirking at each other. "Just what happened over the phone though?" Ven's bright expression vanished, instead, turning a bright shade of red.

Unsure what to even reply with, Riku just pat the boy's back in understanding. Ven made a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "I won't barge into Aqua's room ever again, I will just say that." He blinked, realizing something. "Oh, Aqua wanted to talk to you about something Kairi, follow me." Kairi and Riku followed Ven into the tall castle, the trio passing by various pictures of famous keyblade masters and various photographs old and present of the keyblade wielders. Kairi spotted Ven and Aqua posing in front of half-asleep Terra hugging a teddy bear, while another she noticed was the three posing with their master Eraqus and a slightly younger Xehanort. She was surprised at this but figured it was for sentimental reasons it was still up.

The trio found the kitchen, with Ven rushing to the mana-powered fridge to get some milk for himself. He held up a flavored Hi-Potion and a basic soda, with Kairi taking the former and Riku taking the later. "You guys feel anything strange lately?" Ven asked, leaning on a nearby counter. Riku pulled a chair and sat down, Kairi just standing up and studying Ven.

"What do you mean?" Riku took a sip of his soda. "Kairi and I have been looking for Sora, finding some leads but nothing really solid." Kairi raised an eyebrow at the comment but figured Riku would say the full story once everyone was in the room.

"Well, I felt him," Ven admitted, sighing and looking at the ceiling. "He was in pain but lately, he's been feeling okay. Maybe I'm just imagining things, but figured I would tell you." He snapped his fingers, remembering something else. "And my pal Chirithy told me he felt 'other ones' like me popping up. But I don't know what he's talking about."

"We bumped into Laurium," Riku admitted, with the spirit Ven mentioned popping up out of nowhere, making the three jump, summoning their keyblades. Ven gave the little spirit a glare, but the spirit didn't even care, just jumping on Riku's lap.

"You know where the other Union leaders are?!" He asked, his voice urgent. Ven pulled the spirit off Riku, feeling tempted to use a weak water spell on him, like scolding a bad cat or dog. "Ven, please let me ask them…"

"Yeah, but have manners." Ven playfully scolded, with the creature giving… A pout? Kairi couldn't tell with its small mouth and cat-like noise. She figured it was annoyed at the very least. "And I told you, I don't know who those people are." Ven's voice seemed doubtful at that though, at least to Kairi. "I think I don't anyway…"

"Need me to bonk your head again to get those memories back?" The spirit asked, with Ven mouthing 'no' before getting himself another glass of milk. Aqua and Terra came into view, having inviting smiles on their faces. "Hey guys! Our friends are here, hope you don't mind they raided the fridge."

"Ven, _you _raided the fridge." Terra teased, ruffling Ven's hair and the two sharing playful grins. He turned to Riku, giving a proud smile. "Happy you're here guys." Terra pulled out a seat for Aqua, but she just pulled a chair out for herself, giving a sly smile. Terra sighed, sitting down in his seat and everyone else huddling around the growing table. Aqua using her magic, conjured up glasses of water for everyone. Terra and Riku raised their glasses in thanks, with Kairi and Ven still drinking their Hi-Potion and Milk respectively. "So, what can we do for you two, outside of training of course."

Riku and Kairi looked at one another, wondering if they should spill the beans or not about their 'latest friend'. Riku had some reservations, but Kairi just sighed and rested her hands on the table. "Well… It's kind of a long story." Kairi looked at the nearby window, seeing the warm summer day slowly shift to the night. "Can you conjure up some coffee Master?" Aqua smirked, waving her fingers around and making the water-filled glasses shift into coffee mugs, filled with the black liquid and even some light cream inside it. Terra gave her a loving look before slugging some of his cups down. Ven just stuck with his milk but gave his friend a thankful nod. Kairi took a ship and let out a tired breath. "It all started…"

* * *

"...My face still hurts." Yozora moaned, using a weak ice spell on his left hand to cover his bruised cheek or ego. Maybe both.

"Then don't wake me up like that again, _prince_." Sora countered, a smirk forming on his face and arms firmly behind his head. Back in Sora's mind, Vanitias was shouting at seemingly nothing, saying things like 'look at my bro, embracing his dark side…' and acting surprisingly happy. Sora would laugh at this, but he genuinely was annoyed. _I just found a way to reach out to Kai… And this jerk wakes me up! _Sighing at the situation, Sora looked up, seeing the rain coming down harder.

He would have worn his hood, but Strelitzia was wearing his hoodie to shelter her head from the rain. Sora just wore his black undershirt, uncaring of the cold raindrops. _I actually like this, cools my nerves I guess. _His mind wondered on the mission Joshua assigned him and his friends… _Well, Strez is my friend. _Sora still wouldn't call Yozora a buddy just yet. _Rex said I'm like this guy? Pfft, yeah right. _The calm raindrops helped enhance this strange city's atmosphere, the neon-light billboards and colorful citizens making Sora having the sensation of being part of something bigger. "You okay?" Strelitzia asked, with Sora turning his head back slightly.

"Yeah, got a lot on my mind. You holding up okay?" Sora asked, wondering if the girl was okay walking this far. The trio _did _walk around most of the center square, looking for a flying black dragon with a man in scaly armor riding it, Joshua believing it's 'one of the seven bad guys'. Sora was surprised at Joker's somewhat hesitance with the information, telling Sora to just 'give the info a look'. _He really knows his stuff. _Sora admired the thief's wits, but Yozora elbowing him to walk faster made him bit his lip. "You know… That guy needs to get his attitude checked." Sora said aloud to himself, though quietly not to get Prince Moody to lash out.

"He just seems troubled Sora," Strelitzia said in Yozora's defense, with Sora sighing, rubbing his neck. _She really is like Kairi. No wonder Kairi was able to calm me and Riku down during our bouts as kids. _Giving Strelitzia a warm smile, she looked pleased and the two caught up to Yozora. They eventually found an odd looking passageway, littered with signs saying the following.

_Stay out._

_Please, I'm warning you._

_I don't have enough wood, so seriously, stay out._

_Don't leave eels here, my bud will be mad._

_I can make you some armor but only if you leave your weapons in that bin. My bud doesn't take kindly to sharp objects._

Sora looked at the signs, rubbing his chin. "This guy doesn't seem evil at all." Yozora scoffed at Sora, making the keyblade hero fold his arms. "Okay genius, tell me what you think is going on here then?" Strelitzia blinked at Sora's hostile comment but bit her lip, somewhat understanding of his frustration. Yozora simply pointed to various hearts floating in the air, indicating heartless were frequent in this area. "That just proves he's not a bad guy! He's defending people."

"Yeah, but what if he's creating the heartless in this district?" Yozora questioned, readying his crossbow and walking into the pathway. Sora was going to say something but huffed in annoyance. Rushing after his 'friend', Sora and Strelitzia were surprised to find an oddly large building. It had a lot of Viking memorably, making Sora wonder if Joshua confused the tattooed man with this 'evil force'.

"Budd, calm down! It's not another of those shadow creatures… I think." A figure slowly walked out, decked in armor mirroring dragons. He flicked his sword, slowly getting lit with a flame. His dragon's huge yellow eyes bored into the three heroes, ready to blast plasma the second they touched his master. "...Who are you three?"

Yozora aimed his crossbow, right at the armored young man. "We are here to find out if you are a 'bad guy', as my friend dubs you." He clicked his weapon, it glowing a faint red. "We will fight you…"

"No, _you _will fight him." Sora interrupted, elbowing Yozora. "My… You _can't _read a room, can you?" Sora said exasperatedly. "Just _look _at the dragon? He wouldn't hurt a fly." Sora held out his hand, the armored young man moving back in shock. "Hey, my name is Sora. That's Strez and the jerk is Yozora. We are here to find out what's is making Heartless roam this section of the city." The dragon slowly walked up to Sora, sniffing his hand. Slowly his green eyes turned more inviting, brushing his head on Sora's hand. "See?"

"You… You made friends with a dragon…" Strelitzia and the Armored Young Man said in unison. Yozora just scoffed, putting his crossbow away and folding his arms. The former was shocked at how well Sora handled the situation as if he faced strange people and creatures before. The later slowly took off his helmet, revealing the face of someone no older than Sora himself. His semi-chipped teeth and bushy black hair revealed an inviting figure, not the armored leader he appeared originally.

"...I'm Hiccup." He knelt down, scratching his dragon's chin, the creature purring like a cat. "This is my budd, Toothless. We… Sorta woke up here one night after a bad scrape." Toothless' eyes looked downcast as if blaming himself. "We would be flying, but…" He looked at Toothless' tail, another fin missing. "Those shadow creatures ripped his tail." Sora looked shocked, keyblade ready to fight in this poor creatures honor. Reading Sora's anger, Hiccup smirked. "No, he lost his fin for…" Toothless nudged Hiccup playfully, making him rub his arm sheepishly. "Yeah… We don't talk about those days."

"Enough with the 'oh nice to meet you' and 'we are friends' nonsense," Yozora said impatiently, pointing his sword at Hiccup, but he was shocked with his blade being blocked by a flaming sword. Hiccup's green eyes conveyed a dark message saying 'hurt my dragon and I will finish you right here', forcing Yozora to back down. Sora just shook his head at him, surprised even being a moody jerk, he was… Sora just dragged Yozora away, gesturing Strelitzia to fill Hiccup in on the situation at hand. Nearly throwing him into the street, Sora threw his hands in the air.

"Okay, what's your deal and what can I do to resolve it," Sora said bluntly, making Yozora blink. "Look, I'm best friends with Riku, who can be captain moody. And I traveled with a talking duck that got angry every other hour. I can handle someone like you." Sora folded his arms, his expression softer. "What is bothering you?"

Yozora was surprised at how fast Sora caught on to his frustration, figuring he wouldn't get the gravity of his situation. "I guess I mistook you, some idiot that just wants to make friends. I… I'm trying to get my kingdom back…" He clenched his fist. "And… My fiance." Sora's eyes went wide before he slapped his face in self-annoyance. _He's like me if I didn't handle this situation better, minus the kingdom part. _

"You rule this place?" Sora asked, but just as Yozora was going to answer, Strelitzia and Hiccup came up to them. "Sorry about that… Uh, hostile introduction." Hiccup waved his hands like it was nothing.

"It's fine… Faced my fair share of raiders and dragons." He held out his hand, looking at Yozora. "I overheard you mentioning a kingdom. I'm the chief of a little island back home… And I guess dating my best friend is similar enough to your situation." Yozora bit his lip, seemingly annoyed with himself. "Yeah, been down on my luck, but once you find your pals…" Toothless slowly scooted out of the little walkway, his large body barely fitting. "Things get easier. Not better, but it counts."

Yozora nodded with newfound determination, shaking Hiccup's hand but Toothless picked the entire group up for a large hug. Sora gave a toothy smile to his friends at this act, earning a giggle from Strelitzia and a pout from Yozora. "Can you control your pet?" Yozora asked, his tone not hostile but only a bit annoyed. He glanced toward the shocked crowd that suddenly popped up. One person fainted at the sight of the dragon, another taking out his phone and taking pictures. "Toothy is out of place here."

"Uh… Budd?" Hiccup said weakly, the dragon dropping the four on the ground and everyone rushing away, trying to not get the already confused crowd into a frenzy. _My life is one adventure after another._

* * *

"And that's why we're here." Kairi finished, explaining the past few days of adventure to Terra, Aqua and Ventus. The trio sat down, coffee cups empty and the sky pitch black, but wide awake as if they just woke up. Terra just put a hand to his face, trying to comprehend the situation.

"Sora… He's _alive _still and he's a grown man?" Terra asked, trying not to sound stupid. Riku shook his head. "Okay… He's alive and he has an older form running around?" Riku nodded, with Terra looking to Aqua, hoping she could explain _why _this was happening.

"...You mentioned a black-haired boy in red." Ventus butt-in, getting Kairi's attention. "He was standing with Sora in that dream. Is… Is Vanitias still alive? I thought…" He closed his hands, his face actually appearing hurt. "He wanted to be whole again… I guess he was part of Sora all along."

"Maybe?" Kairi tried answering, but even she would admit the situation was confusing. _Care to help me out here Riku? _She turned to her best friend, the boy lost in his thoughts as if he just found all this out. "Riku…"

"Oh! Sorry…" Riku rubbed his neck, making Kairi take a big sip of her coffee mug. "I think the idea is that this older Sora wants Kairi to learn waking. Sora is alive in a place I'm aware of. We both heard about it during our Mark of Mastery exam." Terra and Aqua looked at one another, shocked at _just _learning about it. "Yen Sid never told you?"

"No… Waking isn't part of the test." Terra started, leaning on the table. "You have to test your heart, making sure it's resistant to darkness and master all forms of magic." He summoned his Earthshaker, it's powerful form a sight to behold. It's rustic look made Riku admire it at awe, wondering how he could wield such a heavy weapon with one hand. Kairi smirked at Riku fanboying but soon paid attention to Terra's explanation. "As you can all see, I'm not exactly well versed in ranged or healing magic. I _can _use Curga and Reflectga, but I mainly use Earth, Fire and Dark magic." He made his weapon vanish, rubbing his temples. "Y-You can't just jam learning waking into the test. It complicates things… Why would that wizard put you two through that?"

"Every master teaches their students differently," Aqua stated, affectedly rubbing Terra's arm to dull his confusion and regret at not being a fellow master himself. Turing to Kairi, she folded her arms together and let out a tired breath. "Kairi, this older Sora is a Master not unlike myself, Riku and King Mickey." Kairi leaned forward, knowing this but wondered where Aqua was going. "Waking is a very powerful skill and we all know it has a dire price to pay." She closed her eyes, her hands actually shaking. "I… I won't judge Master Yen Sid wrongly. It's hard being a master, I understand. But he…" Terra took one of her hands, giving it a firm squeeze. A strange oppressing feeling slowly fading, Aqua let out a relieved breath. "Mickey could have gotten me out a lot earlier if Yen Sid didn't make him swore to secrecy. Same could be said about the torment you and Sora went through during that 'Mark of Mastery'. I can't believe how…" She heard coughing, Ven raising his hand like a child in school. Aqua let her anger dissipate, making a loving smile toward Ven. "Sorry if we rambled, you okay Ven?"

"We are just ignoring that Sora has Vanitias inside him and that we could save him right now, right?" Ven said in the most polite tone he could muster, with Kairi rubbing her forehead. "Am I missing something?"

"Sorta," Kairi answered. "I… I can't _feel _where he is. And yeah, Riku _knows _of Shibuya, but we have no means to get there. I'm pretty sure Master Sora will guide me and Riku to the place. Sora _does _want to return home after all." Kairi said knowingly, folding her arms and closing her eyes, proud at knowing the answer. Aqua giggled at her bravado, while Terra and Riku simply smiled. Ven just rubbed his neck before resting hands behind his head, happy that some idea was going forward. "Anyway…" Kairi looked at Aqua pleadingly. "I need to better control my keyblade, as I figured out how to form change it."

"Mmm…" Aqua studied at how Kairi changed Destiny Embrace's forms twice. "Your connection to Sora, plus the clothes the fairies gave you, are triggering it." She stood up, clasping her hands together. "Okay, tomorrow morning, we will do meditation and work on how to possibly find more forms for your keyblade." She turned to Terra, giving him prideful smile. "Master Terra…" The man nearly coughed at her comment, his face turning red. "Will help Riku learn more heavy hitting attacks, isn't that right?"

"Y-Yes." Terra collected himself and stood tall. Everyone joined him and bowed toward one another. Ven did so, wanting to feel important. "Ven, you can help train Riku too." Ven's eyes glinted in excitement, with Terra giving his little brother playful grin. "Let's not go easy on him."

"You bet!" Ven pumped up his fist, making a pose that made Riku see Sora in his place for a split second. Kairi did as well, smiling at the action. Everyone wished each other a good night's rest. Aqua eventually went to her room and put on her nightgown, ready for some much-needed rest.

"...I'm surprised how well you handled that plot dump." A familiar voice uttered. The same one that saved the blue-haired keyblade master not too long ago, though it was somewhat deeper than she last recalled. Master Sora leaned back on a nearby wall, wearing his red-and-black hoodie and having a serious expression. "My training for Kairi is going to make me do some…"

"You summon heartless that they can easily take care off?" Aqua started, counting things down off her fingers. "Teach her how to use waking to not only save yourself but others? Visit worlds in need of help? And potentially get more people like us to protect the realm of light?" Sora blinked, nodding a bunch of times. Aqua gave a warm smile, with Master Sora rubbing his nose sheepishly.

"No wonder you survived the realm of darkness for ten years." Sora scoffed, folding his arms and shaking his head. "You aren't going to tell your boyfriend or Ven about _why _I'm here, right?"

"Terra handled the information pretty well and Ven's freaking out that his dark brother is inside _you _now." Aqua tapped her chin. "I'm honestly baffled at that, but I figure it's for your light to be equally balanced. Too much light isn't good, just as too much darkness isn't good either." She laid down in her bed, yawning loudly. "Terra is coming in soon, so get out before he beats you up."

"Okay… You two kids have fun." Sora opened a corridor of darkness and waved goodbye. Terra walked in and sniffed the air, his face wrinkling.

"I smell darkness…" Aqua giggled, scooting over for Terra to get in. "I'm serious, I smell darkness in here and I don't get…"

"I _lived _darkness for ten years. Maybe you smell it on me." He smiled at her comment, turning over and flicking the lights off. Aqua closed her eyes, hoping her faith in Sora, both versions of the hero, wasn't for naught.

* * *

_** Before we get to reviews, I'm going to address one key element to this story that I feel should be covered. Shibuya? It's not following TWEWY rules. But it features characters from that game. I designed the location to really run wild with the concept of crossing overworlds and franchises, something KH's is famous for with Disney and Square IP's. If you see a hero or a franchise covered that isn't Disney, FF or Square here, I never just throw them in for no reason. It's for a fitting reason (and hopefully you get that with why Hiccup and Toothless are now on Team Sora). **_

_**Another thing I wanted to address is that chapters are going to take a bit longer to produce, but they should be longer as a result, like this one and Chapter 10. I feel it gives me more room to play with ideas and has more refined editing. Anyway, onto review responses :D.**_

_**redlox2 - Shiki, Joshua, and Neku are from 'TWEWY'. Everyone else I've introduced so far in the Shibuya world isn't from that game. I designed that purposeful to explore that location in a 'new way'. You will see how fun things slowly become as we explore more of the world. You think it's just a city? Oh boy, it's a lot more than that ;). And introducing Strez is a lot of fun, as she's a great Kairi-esc character to play around with.**_

_**blackpackager - Kairi would be a bit upset, wouldn't she? **_

_**Sentinel07 - I think it's pretty clear Ava will pop up here eventually, but other theories... Mmm... You just have to see for yourself ;). The Persona Keyblade was a ton of fun to think about and expect more keychains for Sora to collect. As you've noticed, he's gathering a very colorful group of friends. **_

_**RedHood001 - I'm very aware of the lore from Union Cross and what KH3 revealed to us, so going to be using that for sure. Actually corrected a plot point (originally I thought Strez was Larxine's sister, but it wound up being Laurium's instead), so I'm going to be more careful in regards to actual canon information. Wish the mobile game was a proper KH game on consoles, but at least we got Back Cover (which itself was a solid movie).**_

_**prince of underbrush - Glad you loved chap 10 and I had a blast waving everything together character/worlds wise. Master of Masters is being quite careful but some of the things his younger self encounters will be a surprise for sure. **_

_**lil' chaos - You are really going to love this chapter, I will say that much. But thank you for the kind words! The most enjoyable villains are the ones that feel they are in the right but have to keep questioning their motives. Thanos is a good example of what I'm shooting for I suppose, but Sora himself is just a great character. Actually toying around with an older Sora is just... So interesting and an idea I honestly hope KH4 explores if we are diving into more insanity. **_


	13. Future Masters

_**Yes, this is the longest chapter yet. I wanted to explore and lot. And oh boy, I did. The chapters original ending was going to set up the next events for the Sea-Salt Trio but I decided to go with something else. This chapter should give a lot of answers for a few specific questions people had in recent reviews. Hope you all enjoy :). **_

* * *

Looking up at the rain covered sky, Joker leaned toward the top of 7th Heaven, his face deep in thought. Memories of so many adventures back home playing in his mind. The masked hero smirked, recalling Morgana constantly telling him to get up or get some sleep. But he just missed laying in his bed, the odd talking cat purring gently on his belly. Granted, he wouldn't argue that Tifa's beds in the inn part of the bar/tavern he helped built were hard to sleep in. He hasn't had better sleep in ages. But the smell of coffee beans grinding by Sojiro always made him smile… Even if the man wasn't always welcoming.

Sighing at his drift through memory lane, Joker fixed his red gloves and stood up. To his shock, various people were on the building too. Including a huge black dragon. "...That dragon isn't a shadow, right?" He asked on guard. Sora landed in front of the dragon, letting Strelitzia off his back, letting her hold on as he used flowmotion to run up the building.

"He's just a new friend," Sora said casually as if making friends with a dragon _wasn't _strange or anything. To Joker's surprise, a young man in dragon armor slid off the creatures back, scratching the dragon's chin affectionately. "Joker, this is Hiccup and Toothless. The 'evil person' that Joshua told us about."

"Wait…" Hiccup said in surprise. "You guys thought Toothless and I caused trouble?" Yozora nodded but everyone didn't respond. "Huh… Guess flying on dragons is a problem here bud." Toothless made a somewhat annoyed grumble, curling in a ball and giving Hiccup a knowing look. "Come on, they aren't that bad…" The dragon rolled its eyes before landing on Sora, his expression growing warmer. "Yeah, can tell you like Sora. Don't spit out fish on his lap, okay?"

"Why would he do that?" Sora asked, but shook his head, turning to Joker and pulling him aside. "Hey… I think all of us being in this city isn't how things are supposed to work." Vanitias in the back of Sora's mind sarcastically asked 'You think?' but Sora tuned him out.

Joker looked at Hiccup, with Strelitzia petting Toothless while Hiccup was talking with Yozora about something, both being engaged in the discussion. "I know for sure regarding me and various other heroes." He pointed to Hiccup. "Dragon boy over there clearly doesn't belong in this city. Joshua actually found some answers thanks to that card of yours."

"Really now…" Sora rubbed his chin, pondering on how Luxlord's card is helping them now. "Well, not sure how we can get Toothless inside, but maybe we can set up a camp for him." Sora whistled, the dragon tilting its head up like an alert cat. "We are getting you a little home set up near here Toothless. Want to help me get it set up?" Sora turned to Hiccup.

"Sure thing." The two slowly got down the building and got to work on a makeshift tent for Toothless, the dragon excitedly leaping in the air to glide down. Joker looked over where the three leaped off, seeing Sora cast some magic while Hiccup used a mixture of his dragon's scales and supplies he had on his person in making the tent. Toothless was curled in a content ball, spitting weak fire on the ground and falling asleep. Joker simply shook his head as he gestured his friends to follow him.

* * *

Riku rubbed his eyes, surprised at the lack of sleep he has gotten. Maybe it was the late-night talk about 'Master Sora' or something but his mind wouldn't shut up. _Come on, you gonna train today. _Riku told himself, reading his Braveheart Keyblade, which he was surprised looked like a massive car key despite wielding it for a good few months now. The memory of himself and Mickey getting new keyblades was a fun one.

_You can make keyblades Cid?_

_Sure can sonney. Now tell me what ya want?_

_I have part of my keyblade still. But my pal Riku here left his behind._

_...Mmm, don't have a base to work with for ya. Okay, I will get my car keys and see if Lion would mind me using his gunblade for a base._

_..Carkeys?_

The conversation playing in Riku's mind made him snicker to himself but looking at the weapon in his right hand, he couldn't help but smile. It's powerful weight, the impact each blow the weapon dealt felt… It was like he always had the weapon. The boy saw Kairi ahead, looking equally tired and was going to rush up to talk with her but his Gummi Phone rang suddenly. "Hello?"

"Riku? Great! I figured out how this thing works finally." A soft voice emitted. Riku inwardly swooned hearing Namine's voice, giving a warm expression toward the girl via his phone's camera. "You haven't called me in a few days…" Riku made a weak laugh, his face clearly screaming 'Oh boy…'

To his surprise though, Namine just had her warm smile, making Riku remember just when he fell for her again. Helping her into the Gummi Ship and the two exploring the vast reaches of space together was one of the most romantic things he could think of. And ever since they tried making time for one another, with Namine hanging out with Tidus, Wakka , nd Selphie in the meanwhile. To Riku's surprise, Tidus and Wakka were skilled with water magic, so they've been teaching Namine some spells in-between the island's Blitzball games. _I gotta take her to one of those someday… _The girl coughed, getting Riku out of his thoughts. "Sorry… Been distracted lately."

"I know, you've been looking for Sora." Namine replied, her tone knowing. "And I can tell through Kairi, that you found him." Riku bit his lip, unsure how to explain… "I can't believe Sora became a master… Kairi really is impressed with that. Though I can feel her worry…" Namine gave a hurt expression, as if reflecting Kairi's heart itself. "She is trying to put up a strong face, but… Deep down, she's scared."

"I know." Riku admitted, making Namine and him go silent for a moment. They both sighed, looking at one another with a happy expression. "But she's grown. And I'm proud of her." Namine made a cute smile, making Riku blush. "Y-Yeah. We aren't stopping by the islands for a while. You going to be okay with me being gone for a bit longer?"

"I can always call you silly." Namine replied, kissing into the screen. Riku blinked. "...That's how this works right? You kiss into the phone when your loved one is about to sign off?"

"We are both lost with technology…" Riku laughed aloud, mirroring Namine and making the girl laugh herself. "I will see you soon." He wanted to say something else but Riku felt that specific word was _way _too soon to be uttered. The call ended and Riku took a deep breath. _That's my light, why I keep fighting. _Riku held his Braveheart with a refined grip, his confidence boosted and ran after Kairi.

* * *

Back in Shibuya, Sora was sitting in a dimly lit room with his various allies, Joshua and Joker leading the table. Next to Sora was Strez and to his right was Hiccup and Neku. Neku was surprised Shiki didn't want to sit in on the conversation but she was chatting it up with people in the bar area. Yozora was sitting at the table's edge, his eyes intently on Joshua for the information he was about to share. Barret and Tifa sat next to Yozora, but their eyes kept landing on Sora, feeling the talk was in relation to him.

To start the discussion, Joker coughed and put his hands on the table. "Alright team, Joshua found out something huge." He turned to Joshua but he just gestured Joker to continue, making Joker bite his lip. Collecting himself, he continued. "That card you have Sora, is really damn important."

"How?" Sora asked, leaning forward. "I know Luxlord was… One of the more sane Organization members next to Axel, but how is a playing card important?"

"It's a wild card." Joker spun it around, the front of the card has a blue butterfly on it. "This can read, as Joshua found out, the world essence we all come from." He threw the card to Yozora, who caught it and blinked at how the card shifted from a blue butterfly to a sword on fire. He passed the card to Tifa and Barret, the card's symbol now shifting to a green meteor. "Pass it to Hiccup." Tifa threw the Viking boy said card, he clumsy catching and was surprised at a crescent moon, shining a vivid light. "That's why we thought you were an evil one. Your symbol's world essence is so different to everyone here, that it just doesn't match. Can I have the card back?" Hiccup nodded, trying to throw it but it landing carelessly in the table's center. Everyone blinked at the boy, with him sighing.

"I never was one for 'cool' things." Hiccup said sheepishly, with Joker just giving a good-natured smile. He rubbed his chin together, looking around the table. "What you said makes a lotta sense, considering how I stick out like a sore thumb here."

"Not really," Sora commented, getting everyone to turn toward him. "You've all heard the stories I told you." Strelitzia giggled, recalling the monster world he mentioned and the one he turned into a cute action figure, making Sora grow a smile. "I've seen a lot stranger."

"But your symbol is the most interesting Sora." Joker picked the card up and threw it to Sora, who caught it easily. Sora looked at the card, it shows a glowing yellow crown. Strelitzia took it, showing the same symbol. "Keyblade Wielders seem to have that symbol, which is a very powerful one." Joker leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "You two are our ticket out of here."

"_How _do we make the exit though?" Sora asked, his voice edge with slight frustration. "I want to get home more than anyone, but I don't know _how_." Joshua stood up, his arms folded behind his back.

"I was getting to that." He started, with Joker giving him sly smile. "Those seven evils? Those black coats tricked you." Sora rubbed his temples, figuring that was the case. "They wanted you to _find _us. Joker, 9S, Hiccup, Toothless, Tifa, Neku and Strelitzia. They are some of the strongest symbols here."

Everyone grew silent at this, with Sora standing up. "Seven Lights…" Joshua nodded, a knowing smile growing on his face. "So what happens now?" Joshua turned to Joker, who rolled out a map. It was marked with four locations, each one at the edge of the city. Sora studied each one, rubbing his chin at some of the images.

"Somnus Castle, where Yozora's essence is the strongest." Yozora stood up, his cross-colored eyes growing wide at his assumptions being right. Joshua turned to Joker, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Casino of Dreams, a place Joker knows like the back of his hand." Joker took out his dagger, spinning in on his finger, excited at _finally _being able to steal the most important hearts. Joshua went toward Hiccup, the boy flinching at Joshua put a hand on his shoulder. "Dragons Den, where sadly… More than just your dragon showed up in this city." Hiccup frowned, worried if his friend's dragons fell to darkness. Joshua walked to 9S lastly, his face actually wincing at something. "Tower of the Gods." 9S was taken aback by how sad his friend sounded, unsure why he was this somber. The name seemed familiar to him but he wasn't sure why.

"So four dungeons basically," Sora commented, with Joshua shaking his head.

"No. Four _worlds, _Sora." Joshua said firmly, making Sora blink. "Yes, they are part of this world, but considering how much darkness resides in each one… I don't think it's safe to assume your trails in each of them are going to be easy." He sat back down, a tired expression on his face. "Each place… Has demons related to each essence." He looked at Yozora and 9S specifically. "If you go alone, you will lose yourselves."

"So we go as a full team," Sora said proudly, summoning his keyblade and holding it heroically in the air. "We gotta prepare though, cause the last time I lead a group… We…" Sora didn't want to finish but pushed onward. "So come on team! Let's venture too… What was the first one again?" Joshua smirked at Sora's head-fast nature, Joker and Hiccup just smiled, but Yozora had a blank expression.

"Somnus Castle," Yozora said firmly, standing up and slowly leaving the room. "My fiance and friends are there. I refuse to wait any longer." He paused, turning around and looking at Sora intently. "...I would appreciate a friend having my back."

"No problem." Sora walked over to Yozora and held out his hand. Yozora gave a genuine smile, shaking it and leaving the room. "But I'm serious about us being ready." He turned around, facing his allies and putting his hands on the table. "So we gotta…" Sora started suggesting ideas, with everyone commenting in response. Joshua smiled, wondering if the crown for Sora's essence meant more than just his home.

* * *

Riku smirked, rolling away from a massive strike from Terra's Earthshaker. "Quake!" Terra shouted, slamming his blade into the ground and sending chunks of rock his way. Rolling and blocking, Riku avoided the attack and enjoyed this rush of adrenaline flowing through his body. _Man, been so long since I had a real challenge. _Coming to his right, was Ven, using a series of rapid strikes. If Riku didn't master Dark Reflectga, he would have been caught by the three-hit combo and be sent flying. "Sorry Ven, this might hurt a bit."

Ven saw a series of particles coming his way, rolling away to avoid the counterattack. "Lucky shot." Ven spat, his tone playful and excited. He charged fire into his keyblade, throwing it at Riku to use a Raid attack. Blocking the blow, he didn't realize Ven's eyes had a playful tint to them. _Damn. _Riku felt Terra coming his way, ready to land a powerful strike. Riku turned around just in time to block the attack, but the impact still sent Riku flying.

Just as Riku nearly hit the wall, he dashed toward it, kicking in his Flowmotion abilities and launched like a pinball back at Terra. Unable to see Riku coming, he got hit in the face with Riku's Braveheart and wince at the cut on his right cheek. "Good hit." Terra complemented letting his right hand get a better grip on Earthshaker. "Try some of your darkness-powered attacks."

Riku's smirk vanished, having a more worried expression instead. "...You okay with that?" He asked carefully, with Ven confused _why _Riku was so worried. Terra gave Riku thankful nod, though his face seemed somewhat uneasy. "Alright." Riku charged up a Dark Firga attack, launching it right at Terra. The man simply held out his right hand, taking the attack without blocking. Darkness was channeling through Terra's right arm, the man taking in various deep breaths to collect himself. Riku saw himself in Terra, memories of this time in Castle Oblivion playing in his mind. _He's trying to master his darkness… _Riku saw Terra shove his palm forward, sending the strike right back at Riku. He hit the weapon with Braveheart, cutting the fireblast clean in half. "That was impressive."

"Woah… Didn't know you had that in you." Ven commented, elbowing Terra with pride. "Thought you were afraid of using the darkness."

"I am." Terra admitted, kneeling down and putting his hands on Ven's shoulders. Riku simply folded his arms, wondering what he was going to say. "But I need to master this power inside me, to protect you and Aqua."

"I understand that." Riku started, Terra and Ven looking at right at him. "The darkness isn't just something to be afraid of or destroy. It's a tool, something we wear like a jacket. It doesn't control us, but we can use it to help us at the same time." Terra stood up, giving Riku a knowing look. "I was possessed by that jerk too, though not nearly as long as you. I can get why you're afraid to tap into your full power."

"Yeah…" Terra said, his usually confident voice weak. His eyes drifted toward Aqua, who was meditating with Kairi across from them. How they are doing this with shouts and clanks of keyblades in the background was beyond him. But seeing Aqua, her expression at complete peace, he felt that always-present guilt gnaw at him like a hungry beast. The blue-haired master opened her eyes, giving Terra a loving smile before closing them once more. Terra clenched his right fist, Riku seeing himself in that spot.

Riku put a hand on Terra's shoulder, which was surprisingly hard considering how tall the man was, and got his attention. They just gave one another a knowing look, Riku reflecting on his own weakness years ago. _I hurt Sora and Kairi, and that will never happen again. _Terra seemingly read Riku's mind, sending a similar message with his eyes. The two simply nodded at one another and slid back. "Ven, you mind staying out of this match? Gotta school Terra on some Dark Thundga and Dark Gravity spell."

"Sure thing!" Ven found a spot near the battlefield, sitting down and watching in excitement. Chirithy popped out of thin air, a bag of popcorn in his hands. "You wanna watch to pal?"

"Keyblade Masters fighting? You would be crazy thinking I wouldn't want to watch this!" The little spirit was beyond excited, sitting in Ven's lap as Riku and Terra clashed once more.

* * *

Kairi and Aqua got out of their meditation, both unable to concentrate, due to the amount of darkness that was coming out of Riku and Terra. The two were sending Dark Volleys and various magic spells at one another, shouting battle cries and laughing. Kairi smirked, despite her heart screaming 'get out of here', seeing Riku vanish and unleash a storm of strikes out of portals of darkness. To her surprise though, was Aqua tearing up at Terra fighting, the man's smile glued on his face from the amount of joy he was having. "Terra hasn't been that happy in a while, huh Master?"

"Yeah." Aqua admitted, covering her heart with both hands. "While I wouldn't normally be for him to use darkness that much, I'm glad he's trying to master it." She would have added 'making his heart stronger' but that would be pointless, she _knew _his heart was strong like hers. Turning to Kairi, she summoned her keyblade. "Now, we need you to master the art of style change."

"What's that?" Kairi asked, attentively looking at Aqua with wide excited eyes. Aqua gave a small simile at this, standing up and getting into battle position. Kairi mirrored her, summoning Destiny's Embrace.

"When you use enough of a specific magic spell or a chain of attacks linked together either by element or situation, you can channel your inner magic to shift your fighting style." Aqua pointed her keyblade at Kairi. "Block the next few strikes please." Kairi nodded, holding her keyblade out defensively, with a series of Firga strikes bouncing off the weapon. She noticed Aqua glowing a faint red, before she flicked her keyblade, her entire body glowing a vivid red. "Now, I'm in my Firestorm style, allowing…" She attacked Kairi with fire-infused strikes, using a more offensive style that's not unlike Terra's. Landing a finishing strike, Kairi slid back and let her guard down, Aqua's body losing it's red glow. "Use light magic on me."

Kairi nodded, launching various Light Volley's and a Holly Light, it's area-of-effect so strong, that Terra and Riku had to jump away from it. Kairi felt her body glowing an almost angelic yellow, flicking her keyblade and it transforming into a full-on staff. The keyblade's handle was not unlike Sora's Mirage Staff but the top and body was coated with yellow and white flowers. The very tip of it was a blue orchid flower. Kairi noticed her clothes changing too, gone was her pink hoodie-dress, the princess of light now downing a semi-flowing white dress, her arms covered with black gloves and her dress's hemming having various crowns, keys, and heart shapes. "Woah... " Kairi studied herself, but quickly shook off the awe. She was going to run but felt her feet light as air, just skating over the ground instead. Shooting various blasts from her staff, Aqua jumped and cartwheeled away, a proud smile ever present on her face. Kairi then jumped in the air and launched a Blizzardga blast, but it was coated with light, landing a powerful explosion upon landing. Kairi smirked, trying Thundra next, but to her shock, the staff made a pillar of lighting come down. The entire room shook from the impact, everyone falling on the ground.

"Man… And I thought Mickey was powerful with light magic…" He held out his hand, Terra using that and his keyblade to help himself up. Ven's eyes were locked on Kairi, face red at her angelic look, with Riku laughing at the sight. "Dude, you know she's…"

"I know…" Ven uttered, lightly patting his cheeks and helping the terrified Charity up. "You okay little guy?'

"Y-Yeah." He took some deep breaths and walked up to Kairi. The girl blinked at the little cute cat spirit, kneeling to meet it face level. "I've never seen a White Mage so powerful before…" Kairi smiled, picking the little cat spirit up and hugging it. "Hey! Put me down!" She ignored it's protests, with Aqua coming up to Kairi.

"That was more than a form change…" Aqua commented, Kairi putting the spirit down and intently studying her master. "You are still using it, normally it acts like a fever pitch when the times are tough."

"Really?" Kairi was surprised at this, but soon, this new form vanished and she was back in her hoodie dress once more. She was even more surprised at how she wasn't even remotely tired after using that much light magic. "Could this be because I'm a Princess of Heart?"

"Likely," Aqua suggested, pulling Kairi into a hug. "I'm so proud of you…" Kairi hugged her master back, so happy to have Aqua at her side. "We will keep training but I think, for now, you and Riku are ready to head out." Aqua let go and the boy's joined them. "I hope all that light wasn't too bright for you two." She gave Riku and Terra a knowing smirk. Riku snickered while Terra entered a laughing fit. Ven just looked at Kairi, coughing to collect himself.

"Uh… That was pretty cool." Ven said weakly, kicking his feet around. Kairi smiled, ruffling Ven's hair. "Hey!" Kairi giggled, silencing Ven on the spot. Riku just looked at this and shook his head. Terra couldn't help but smile at Ven, while Aqua just noticed her little brother's reaction to Kairi's form-change. "If I'm so surprised, imagine how Sora's going to react to that."

The mention of Sora made Kairi's heart flutter; her hero going googly-eyed at her turning into a powerful light mage… "Great, you made her fantasize about it Ven. Now I have to see her like this the entire ride to the next world." Kairi blinked, giving Riku an annoyed pout. Riku just laughed and cracked his neck. "I know Ven's right but we aren't going to find our pal hanging around here."

Terra held out his hand, with Riku shaking it. "I had a lot of fun battling you. You're always welcome to come back." Riku nodded, with Kairi standing next to him. Ven and Aqua joined, the little family giving the two a loving look. "Call us if you two need _any _help, okay?"

"Terra didn't know you the protective type." Aqua teased, with Terra coughing to collect his blushing face. Ven smiled at the sight, happy Riku and Kairi were not officially part of his little family.

"...Damn." The five nearly jumped at the voice, eyes turning to a nearby window. A black-coated man didn't move, just folded his arms and stayed still. "You really got my student learning a lot there. And to think, the old master thought putting her with that useless wizard was a good idea." He leapt off and landed right before the five. Terra was the first to stand before them all, Earthshaker in hand. "Come on, you know who I am already, stop the theatrics." He threw off his hood, revealing a head of spiky brown hair. "I finally became a master, surprise surprise."

"Sora?" Terra asked in surprise, but the conversation from yesterday firm in his mind, he let his guard down and folded his arms. "Why are you here?"

"Good question, but you know the answer already." He walked to Kairi and Riku, giving them a proud smile. "Good job on getting stronger guys. I'm _really _impressed with you though." He patted Kairi's shoulder, Sora's toothy smile on full display. "You are close, not quite yet, but close. Didn't pass out this time."

"Wait…" Aqua stood before Kairi, getting Master Sora's attention. "That's part of her learning…" Sora mouthed 'yep' and Aqua covered her mouth in surprise. "You helped her do something Yen Said nearly killed Riku and I trying to learn."

"...Vanitias." Ven said darkly, charging his keyblade into Master Sora, but he blocked it, almost fittingly enough, with a damaged version of the Void Gear. "Why are you back?!" Master Sora sighed, not wanting to hurt his brother. Lightly pushing Ven back, he closed his eyes, letting another force slowly take over. Opening them, his blue eyes turned a shade of red, his toothy smile gone and thin expression remaining.

"I'm not causing trouble," Vanitias stated, kneeling down and meeting Ven at face level. "All I wanted, was to be in the shadow. I never wanted to be my own person, but be part of a complete whole. That old idiot fed me lies, and we both can agree he's better off dead." Ven relaxed his keyblade, though his face was still on edge. "Sora is fine." He closed his eyes and a deep breath was released, Sora's eyes blue once more.

"Woah… Been a while since that happened…" Sora coughed and stood up, putting both hands on Ven's shoulders. "See? Got Mister Dark and Edgy under control. He's behaving." Sora felt his eye twitch, then let out an amused chuckle. "Pays to have a heart with light." He turned around, hands behind his back. "Now, giving you two a bit of a suggestion." Riku and Kairi looked at him in response. "Head to the Kingdom of Mewni next. It's not that far from here actually, one of the more 'wild' and 'strange' ventures I stumbled upon during my travels after my lovely passing." He turned around, arms still folded behind his back. "The princess should still be friendly in this worldline." He opened a corridor. "Now, going to make sure old friends are okay. See ya!" And just like that, Master Sora was gone.

The room was dead silent until Ven spoke up to break the ice. "He isn't evil at all, isn't he?" Terra shrugged his shoulders, feeling… Honestly confused. That _felt _like the same kid he briefly meets during the Keyblade War. The darkness wasn't that different from Vanitias', nothing on the level of Xehanort. Deciding the situation was 'fine for now', Terra turned around and left the room, his head hurting from all this thinking. Ven joined him, feeling equally as conflicted. Aqua having no reaction like her friends, made Riku smirk.

"I sorta meet him last night. I wouldn't have let him in _my _castle if he was going to harm anyone." The way she said 'my' made Kairi smile, knowing her Master still was strong as ever. She put her hands on their shoulders. "I trust this Master Sora, but please, be on guard. He _isn't _like Xehanort but he _could _become like that. Don't lose yourselves to the darkness, okay?" They nodded and hugged the Master. Running off, she smiled, but her eyes drifted to the Chirithy,, his body beyond shocked. "You okay little…"

"M-Master of Masters… He's back…" He jumped around excitedly, mumbling about his other friends being okay again. Shaking her head, she retreated to the kitchen, feeling a bit hungry after the entire training.

* * *

Back in Shibuya, Sora was shopping in a store with Shiki, Neku and Hiccup. The former two wanted to get gear for everyone for the upcoming mission, but Sora was with Hiccup, trying to find the proper cloth for Toothless' tail fin. "Mmm.. Would this be aerodynamic enough?" The boy said to himself, with Sora smirking in mild amusement. "What do you think?" He asked Sora, with the keyblade wielder feeling the fabric. It felt heavy but thin enough to match the dragon's other tailfin.

"This works, but I know nothing about this kind of stuff." Hiccup sighed but was thankful for Sora's input. "So what's it like back home?" Hiccup took the fabric and they went toward the register to pay.

"It's loud, lots of fire being shot everywhere and I'm the only smart one of my group of friends." Hiccup smirked. "Aside for Astrid, she's the one that gets everyone to listen." Sora picked up the fondness Hiccup leaked into his voice upon her mention. Sensing Sora's incoming 'is she your girlfriend question', the boy didn't even turn around, just giving a smile saying 'yes'. It was refreshing for Sora to hear this, as his other friends were so closed off regarding their 'special someone'. Neku didn't act as he cared about Shiki when it's clear as day he would punch someone for her, getting any genuine emotion out of Yozora was a recipe for disaster and 9S was unsure about his own memories. Joker seemed to have a special someone but his personal life he was very closed off with. _Glad he told me his real name at least and gave me some information about his friends. _Sora mused to himself.

Paying for the fabric with the last of his munny, Sora and Hiccup left the store, leaning on the walls, waiting on Neku and Shiki to finish shopping. "You got a gal at home too I bet." Hiccup asked, with Sora nodding. "Is she why you're here?"

"Yep." Sora said aloud, arms folded. _I hope she's doing okay… _Sora felt her light being really powerful just a few hours ago, unsure why but figured she was training or something. "I sorta… Died trying to get her back."

"Well, I know about losing things to get your loved ones to safety." Hiccup lifted one of his legs, Sora only _now _realizing he lost his foot. "Yep, lost this guy when fighting the Red Death." Sora blinked at the name. "Yeah, vikings have odd names for dragons." Hiccup sighed, looking up at the sky. "I love flying with my budd, so hope this fabric will be enough to repair his tail."

"9S is great with mechanical stuff, so pretty sure he could help." Sora suggested, but then he remembered about that Adam guy. "Wait! I know someone that can help us." Sora took out his Gummi Phone, despite its various static interference, somehow worked in talking with Neku and Shiki's phones. He texted them 'Going somewhere with Hiccup, be back soon' and put the phone away. "Come on! It shouldn't be far from here." Hiccup felt his arm get dislocated as Sora dragged him through the crowd, his eyes looking for a specific building. _It's gotta be around here… _Sora didn't care about the shouting citizen's telling him to move out of the way, he just kept running until he found a building saying 'We Argument, Because We Care'. "I think if I told Sully about this sign, he would file for a lawsuit."

"What's a lawsuit?" Hiccup asked, but Sora didn't answer, walking into the building. Hiccup shrugged his shoulders, walking inside and his eyes went wide. A mechanical body hanging on the walls, various gears, and tools nearly behind glass cases and a small 'testing box' for various augmentations… "Am I in vanhala?"

"Kid, what are ya two doing here?" A cocky voice got their attention, seeing… a green gecko behind the counter. "Yeah, I got the goods. What ya buying champs?" Sora blinked, seeing a strange mixture of Mushu and Randel with how he spoke. Sora downright confused on how to respond, the gecko scoffed, leaping on the glass counter and poking Sora's chest. "All right! It's tail time, if you two don't say something."

Adam walked from the back, his mechanica sunglasses studying Sora and Hiccup. "Gex, you bothering my customers again?"

"What? Not my fault they aren't cooperating terminator." Gex said in annoyance and hopped on Adam's shoulder. "Yeah, friends with robocop here."

"Loud voice for a pest." A familiar female voice walked into the building, Sora recognizing her from his first battle here. She lugged her half-broken pickaxe over her head, giving Gex an annoyed expression. "I hunted prey bigger much larger, but you would make for a fine meal." She saw Sora and gave a faint smile. "Sora, nice seeing you around town again." She turned toward Hiccup. "Huh… Guess you're a new straggler. Got help getting adjusted?"

"Yeah…" The viking said unsurely, seeing so much of Astrid in the woman. Noticing he was staring he held out his hand, which the woman shook with a smile. "Name's Hiccup." Gex laughed uncontrollably at this, with Hiccup sighing. "I know, dumb name, but my dad thought it sounded heroic."

"Really? Hiccup? That sounds like a…" Gex was going to continue but the woman threw her ax at the wall, making Gex duck behind Adam's back. "...I will go back to watching my stories." He scurred away, moving not unlike Randel. Sora turned to the woman, who he remembered was named Lara, and gave relieved smile.

"That guy might be annoying." Sora stated, with Lara having a look screaming 'Really?' while Adam just sighed, using his mechanical arm to yank the axe off the wall and passing it back to Lara. "I came here to get some help on something." Sora gestured Hiccup to pass Adam the fabric, the viking giving it to the augmented man. "Hiccup has a dragon that has a prosthetic fin but the heartless tore it up. Could you maybe help us repair the…" He looked to Hiccup, unsure what he called it.

"Mechanical fin." Hiccup finished, putting his hands on the glass counter. "Without this, we can't do much more than glide. And my bud really misses flying, though this city isn't fond of dragons."

"Yeah, your pal here took down a heartless dragon upon his arrival." Lara commented, with Hiccup sending Sora a dirty look. Sora rubbed his neck sheepishly, with Hiccup sighing, figuring nothing could be done to help that dragon out now. "But you can ride dragons? Read in my dad's journals that the beasts are rare in my world, though I faced my fair share of strangeness."

"Mmm…" Adam mumbled, getting the group's attention. "You have the rest of the mechanical fin, right?" Hiccup nodded. "Good. Gex!" The gecko groaned, coming out from his room and folding his arms annoyed. "You watch over the shop while I'm gone."

"Yeah, and a little gecko like me can defend your shop. Good call." He said sarcastically, turning to Lara. "But if bombshell over there…"

"I'm coming with him." She hissed, with the Gex frowning. Seeing his destress, Lara rolled her eyes and threw him one of her pistols. "Use this, pretty sure you can use a gun." The gecko to Sora's credit, seemed to have a handle on the weapon. But he turned to Adam, who just snapped his fingers. Various mechanical parts of the shop came to life suddenly, lazers pinned to the door and floor.

"Don't worry Sora, I have to leave the shop often, so set up an anti-darkness defense system." Hiccup looked at awe, taking out a notebook and taking various notes. "I like that kid, maybe I can argument his leg if he wants." Hiccup mindlessly nodded, an excited glint shining in Adam's glasses, but the boy was focused on his notes to notice.

The four left the store, but was surprised to see a man in a black coat watching them. "Bloody hell…" Lara hissed, reading her pickaxe and pistol. "You again?" Adam tapped his arm, both mechanical hands glowing a faint electric pulse. Sora just readied his keyblade as Hiccup threw up his dragon helmet and flicked his fire sword.

"Yesh, can't I just say hello?" Luxu asked rhetorically, with Sora shaking his head. "Fine, fair enough. But you figured out what to do here, right?" Sora nodded, his eyes narrowing. "That Roxas glare… You've been busy, in more places than one." Sora tilted his head at the comment, Luxu slowly walking around the four heroes. "Making friends here… Training that girlfriend of yours in the realm of light… And you meet another red head? Man, talk about being busy." Sora grit his teeth, feeling angry and confused at the same time.

Hiccup boldly walked up to Luxu, his flaming sword near the man's neck. "I don't get what you are rambling about, but we are busy. So shew, okay?" Sora was reminded of Woody telling Young Xehanort off from this, making him grow a faint smirk. Luxu backed away, the citizens looking at the sight in panic. But Luxu smirked, whistling and loud rumbling rippling through the ground. A blue dragon yanked Luxu up, with Hiccup nearly dropping his weapon at _whose _dragon it was. "Why do you have Stormfly?!"

"You name these?" The dragon twitched, it's eyes were unfocused. "Oh, I threw some axe girl into a corridor asking about a peg-legged idiot. She forgot her dragon, so I'm borrowing it. These are fun rides." Hiccup shouted in pure anger, trying to run up the building and use his makeshift dragon wings to glide toward Luxu but he fell right on his back, groaning in pain. Sora used his flowmotion to run up the building, swing around a pole and flung himself toward Luxu, using his Void Gear to strike the man. Luxu blinked at the weapon in Sora's hands, but in this fit of surprise, he was knocked off Stormfly. The dragon continued twitching, it's vision slowly more focused. It saw Hiccup and a bunch of strangers, deciding to fly somewhere deeper into the city in an effort to look for its partner.

Adam turned his fingers into mini-cannons, shooting at Luxu as he fell and Lara used her climbing rope to yank the man down. Luxu used a corridor of darkness and landed right into it, vanishing before anyone could catch him. Sora landed on the ground, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah... " Hiccup said weakly, rubbing his neck and sighing in defeat. "Dragons Den…" Sora put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "I know, but… She always has my back. It just... "

"She's strong, right?" Hiccup nodded. "Then don't worry." Sora felt stupid saying this, knowing he would be screaming bloody murder if anyone laid a finger on _his _Kairi, but after bringing her back from death twice and feeling her strength getting stronger… Sora shook his head, focusing on what do next.

"...You guys need help, huh?" Lara asked, with Sora nodding. "Not sure how useful a pistol, some other guns and an pickaxe can be, but I'm down." Adam nodded, his mechanical arms hissing steam to cool off from the fighting.

"Thanks, guys, let's head back." Sora said firmly, rushing ahead with his four allies not far behind.

* * *

It was nighttime now in Shibuya but Sora couldn't really sleep. He sat in the bar, eating some food that Ignus cooked, that's the name of the chief he learned from Yozora. Apparently, the prince's friends decided to help out with kitchen duties. Sora enjoyed his chicken parm, but his mind was so muddled he was just playing what was left of the food using his fork. "Can't sleep either?" Strelitzia asked, walking up to Sora and taking the empty seat across from him. The keyblade hero sighed, pushing his plate away from him.

"Yeah, figured eating would help but… Not really in the mood." Sora admitted. "I just… We are going to be fighting powerful forces soon and I'm just… Surprised, this is happening again so soon." Sora clasped his hands together. "I just wanted to go home, seeing Kairi again, us finally…" He covered his face, hiding his frustrated blue eyes, not noticing a look fo slight sadness from the girl across from him. To his surprise though, she took one of his hands and held it firmly.

"You are strong," Strelitzia said proudly, making Sora blink. "Don't you dare get down on 'not being able to lead' us. I _saw _how you connected with people hours ago. Everyone here trusts you." She brushed her thumb over his hand. "Okay?"

"Thanks." Sora said with a warm smile, the girl nodding. He was surprised at how long he let her hold his hand, his face blushing. He slowly released his hold on her hand, giving a sheepish laugh.

"Boy." Sora and Strelitzia jumped, a booming voice getting their attention. It was of the red tattooed man, sitting alone with his now empty mug of ale. "You seek strength to face trials, when you've seen much." The man slowly got up, wiping his beard and walking toward Sora's table. Sora himself was just at awe with the man, his stature being one not unlike his friend Herc. "If you want your strength tested, challenge me in the marrow. I will be outside." Before Sora could even answer, the man left to his room.

"He's scary…" Strelitzia commented, her body shaking. "I felt so much darkness in him…" Sora blinked at her comment. "What's wrong?"

"You can feel darkness? But you are just a keyblade wielder like me." Sora asked, leaning in. The girl shrugged her shoulders, but Sora just sighed, leaning back in his chair, eyes studying the now cold food. "I really should've eaten this when it was hot." Strelitzia casted a weak fire spell, making the plate go on fire for a moment before the flames died down… But now the entire table cloth was ash.

"Really?" Tifa asked, her arms folded unamused, leaving from her station at the bar. "I just put that on an hour ago…" The two teens laughed sheepishly, with Tifa shaking her head, giving a good-natured smile. "Sora, we got a microwave." She took his plate. "Use that next time." His food now trashed, Sora was instead handed a cup of coffee. She passed one to Strelitzia as well. Tifa getting her own cup, pulled up the free chair and sat with the two. "Kratos wants to fight ya, huh?"

Sora took a sip, the bitter taste cooling his nerves. "That's his name? He seems nice, thought a bit scary." Tifa wanted to spit out her coffee at Sora's comment, making him tilt his head in confusion.

"_Nice_? Sora, you sure know how to read people…" Tifa slowly sipped her coffee again and put the mug down. "That man killed thousands, led wars, destroyed gods and, I heard from the people here, that he killed his own family." Sora gulped hearing all this, unsure how to respond. "The only time he was nice, was to that sweet boy of his. But he let him leave with some talking head."

"He wanted his son to have a better life…" Strelitzia commented, playing with the black ribbons on her arm. "So he doesn't seem all bad I guess." Tifa shrugged, the girls drinking their cups. Sora summoned his keyblade, feeling something inside him screaming to accept the challenge. _Come on, might be fun… _Vanitias suggested, though he quickly added. _Make sure you have like ten hi-potions and four ethers, the guy will kick our ass otherwise. _Sora remembered his fights with the Lingering Will and that odd heartless in the Keyblade Graveyard. Not to mention the various Data Organization XIII battles he willing accepted despite Donald screaming 'You would be stupid to fight them again' over and over.

His inner warrior wanting to test his strength, more so with what's coming ahead, Sora nodded. Telling he is going through with the battle, Tifa patted his shoulder before shaking her head in defeat. Strelitzia just gave Sora a confident thumbs up, with Sora giving her a toothy smile back. They clinked their coffee mugs and took a big swig. "So…" She leaned in closer, her eyes blinking playfully. "Tell me about the world with the lions, they seem cute."

Sora started talking about his adventures in Pride Lands, Strelitzia intently listening to his tales. This made Sora feel a bit at ease, knowing tomorrow is going to be a major battle. Unknowing to him or his friend, Luxu was watching from the window once more, rubbing his tired eyes. "This kid…" He leaped away and landed in front of an odd tent. Dialing his Gummi Phone, the face of his Master running around the underworld popped up. "So boss, you got two girls?"

"What?" The Master of Masters paused, genuinely confused. "I mean, I'm kinda the segrate father of Invi and Ava, the later of which I found a lead on in the Underworld. Though Mewni's Realm of Magic is something…" He started trailing off, trapping his chin. "Oh, and I have two sisters sorta, with Xion and Namine. Let's not forget my brothers..."

"No, you idiot." Luxu cut him off, making Master Sora frown. "I'm talking about the other keyblade wielder." Luxu was getting genuinely annoyed. "You never told me I had to babysit you and your second girlfriend." Master Sora rubbed his chin, unsure what his favorite pupil was talking about. Sure, he _was _aware now that various friends he met like Ariel, Rapunzel and Yuffie liked him at some level. His eyes were always only on Kairi, so what his pupil was talking about was… Then he rubbed his eyes tiredly, realizing what is going on.

"Ah, you gotta love how time travel works pal." Master Sora said playfully, with Luxu wanting to scream but took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. "Hey, I'm still here, so nothing _drastic _is happening."

"How are you always so calm with things go wrong?" Luxu said exasperated, with Master Sora simply shrugging his shoulders. "So I play matchmaker to make sure your younger self doesn't…" Master Sora started laughing so loud, the nearby heartless in the underworld looked confused.

"Look, I'm sure after everything, my younger self is aware of reading the room." He wagged his finger playfully. "And, I know myself. Kairi is the girl that always comes first no matter what. I _died _trying to bring her back. What should that tell you hoss?"

"Fine…" Luxu sighed, cracking his neck. "At least you should know that the 'challenge' you set up for Sora is going to start soon…." Luxu smirked. "If he survives fighting the God of War himself."

"Oh, I remember _that_. Good times, got my scar from it." Master Sora pointed to the big scar across his eyes. "Everything in that dream journal is going accordingly. You seriously didn't read the passage where I met a new female friend?" Luxu raised a finger, before opening his copy and quickly flipping through it. Then he blinked, saying 'huh' to himself. "I can't believe you didn't read the _important book _for your project."

"I swear it wasn't like this when I read it originally…" Luxu said in disbelief but shook it off to the stress recently. "Take it from your chipper mode princess is learning waking well, huh?" Master Sora mouthed 'yep' and posed in front of a heartless before cutting it clean in half. "...You love that phone, huh?"

"You kidding? Recorded Roxas beating the tar outta Isa. That was a hoot." Luxu laughed at the comment before shaking his head. "Oh, an old friend of ours is here, so gonna say hi." Master Sora hung up with Luxu hearing coughing in the background. Slowly turning, he saw Hiccup and Toothless, the dragon growling. "...You heard everything, didn't you?"

"Yes, we did." Hiccup answered and he patted Toothless' back, telling his budd to shoot plasma in Luxu's face. The man took the blast head on and flung toward the wall. The dragon made a weak cry, cooing into Hiccup's hand. "Sora is in trouble, these people know too much about him." They went inside the tent, with Luxu mumbling 'I don't get paid enough for this…' before vanishing into a corridor.

* * *

_** So, long chapter, right? Yeah, I wanted to address a few points (like why Hiccup and Toothless are here, Vanitias' true intentions and whatnot) while setting up others. Very pleased with the end result :). **_

_**H.R.C. Stanley - Joker is from 'Persona 5' and The Dragons characters aren't crossing over into 'The Realm of Light'. The entire idea of my take on Shibuya is to go nuts with crossovers while still making some sense with the choices I pick. Trust me, I don't do things cause 'well that would be cool' (though Hiccup's inclusion was influenced by really enjoying Dragons 3). The dream sequence was a blast to write, so glad you liked it :).**_

_**7 - Short comments but glad you are enjoying the story regardless.**_

_**prince of underbrush - An issue I think people had with KH3 is that a lot of characters people wanted to see didn't get enough screen time or interactions. Riku and Terra could easily have bonded over their mutual trials facing darkness, Aqua could have taught Kairi some magic, and the humor at Ven and Roxas more or less sorting out who is who is gold. But due to how some characters show up/come back/etc, they couldn't do that with the time allotted. This is why I am giving so much attention, cause those interactions are just too fun to pass up on. But Vanitias isn't 'I'm going to taint Sora and possess him' but more so like that dark voice that sometimes says 'You know, that guys a jerk' every once in a while. Ever since BBS, the guy wants to be united with his light. Yes he loves darkness and he accepts being darkness, but remember what he said to Sora. "I am your shadow". I think he meant that literally and this is what I'm playing with regarding his characterization. And Aqua being understanding of the situation is really logical, considering everything. Yes, the Yen Sid doubters club expands :'P.**_

_**blackpackager - Glad someone caught that, was wondering who would catch that bit of information. I like to imagine Aqua magic'd her nightgown on but still, it's funny to think about Master Sora in his older years being more knowledgable about how woman think he's attractive. **_

_**Lil' Chaos - I think this chapter explains why Hiccup and the other heroes are here. Also, I imagine the Master of Masters being around his mid-20's. So he's not that much older than Kairi (she should be 17 by now) but yeah, Sora really did grow into a heroic figure body-wise. Imagine someone a wee bit taller than Lion/Cloud but having a somewhat more rugged Sora-face and you got him pegged down. Regarding your other points, I will be sure to address everything when the time comes, but yes, I will have the heroes reflect on their teacher's failings as things progress. And yeah, Aqua being understanding of Sora is only logical; she deeply respects him after all he's done.**_

_**Sentinel07 - Thank you.**_

_**redlox2 - Not answering your question about Kari's connection to Sora just yet, but glad you liked the chapter. And we are faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar from this story ending. You will clearly see why after reading this chapter. **_

_**TaitanoRules555 - Glad you liked that franchise's inclusion. **_


	14. King of Hearts

_**Hello everyone :). A bit shorter than the last chapter but I really wanted to dive into the great fight I set up. A lot's going down here, but hope you all enjoy! Before I let you all read, I highly recommend you listen to the tracks 'God of War', 'Echos of an Old Life' and 'The Summit' from God of War 4 during the Sora vs Kratos battle. It really adds to the emotional weight of everything. **_

* * *

Sora was standing outside 7th Heaven… At Five O'Clock in the morning, wondering where this 'challenger' was, narrowing his eyes to study the completely empty streets. Part of Sora, felt relieved, thinking maybe the Kratos forgot about the fight. _Wuss. _Vanitias spat in Sora's head, with Sora ignoring the voice. He didn't want to _die _today, more so after Tifa's warning as he got his potions, ethers, and elixirs ready. But Sora ignored the warnings of his incoming third death, wanting to prove something. Sora wondered if it was to prove to himself he could face the upcoming 'worlds', or he simply wants to vent his pent up frustrations out on something.

"You came, boy." Sora turned around, seeing Kratos in a red cloak, his hood covering a bearded face. "Good. Come." He turned around, with Sora following the man. They walked in silence, the few people awake instantly recognizing Kratos and either shaking in fear or running inside. _He couldn't have done all those things Tifa said… Right? _Sora pondered to himself, thinking the man walking ahead of him was a hero. As if reading Sora's thoughts, Kratos let out a bitter laugh and walked at a faster clip. The two walked past the various streets and blocks until they found a patch of grass.

Sora looked around him, seeing a small park. It wasn't too shabby, it's open fields making for a great battleground and the fences clearly used for baseball and other sports could make for some flowmotion attacks if needed. Sora saw the man take off his red cloak, readying his Leviathan Axe and taking deep breaths. Sora studied the keychains he had on hand; Convect Chain, Starlight, Hero's Origin, Nano Arms, Wheel of Fate and Ever After. Taking a deep breath himself, Sora clipped on the Starlight Keychain and entered a battle position. Seeing the man have an unmoving expression, Sora charged into him but was met with a quick counter from his Guardian Shield, the rustic gold metal blocking Sora's strike easily. Stumbling back, Sora saw the shield glow a faint red color, a burst of energy being shot right back at him.

Rolling away from the attack, Sora entered a sprint, trying to see if he could land another attack. Flicking his wrist, he let his clothes shift to their black form, activating Second Form. Leaping in the air, Sora landed a barrage of attacks, actually hitting Kratos easily, the man taking them like nothing. Finishing his explosion burst combo, light sending Kratos sliding back, he just spat out some blood, a faint smile growing on his face. "You got a warrior spirit." Kratos stood tall, clenching his ax. "I don't need to hold back."

Sora tilted his head at the comment, but the man entered a spartan sprint, shouting as his shield was growing a bright red. Panicking, Sora switched to his Hero's Origin and turned entered it's form change, a shield forming his hand's right as Kratos crashed into it. Sora could swear the ground shook from how heavy the man was marching, using his shields power to launch a godly fist at Kratos, the man taking the blow head on. Huffing from how powerful his foe's attacks were, Sora was trying to focus on him aiming his ax. Sora's eyes were wide as he threw his keyblade to counter Kratos' strike, but was surprised when both weapons fell to the ground. Sora's eyes were in shock, the ax actually was stuck _inside _his keyblade. Kratos held out his palm, the ax and Sora's weapon coming to his hand. "Mmm…" Kratos tried holding the Keyblade but it rematerialized in Sora's right hand.

The wielder studied his weapon, it actually getting chipped from the attack. Sora looked at his Hero's Origin, the middle has a big chip within it and looked back at Kratos. The man gave Sora an unimpressed look, causing Sora to grit his teeth. Flicking his wrist, Sora summoned a keychain that was his strongest, deciding not to play fair. Summoning his Wheel of Fate, he activated the weapon's Highwind form, it's spear making various jabs toward Kratos. The man blocked each blow like nothing, his face twitching a smile. He countered one of Sora's finishers, making him stumble back. Kratos then held up his ax, unleashing a pent up ice pulse.

Sora winced at the attack, using a weak fire spell to dispel the slight freeze. _He can use ice magic? _Sora smiled, figuring if ice was his favorite… Charging his Highwind with fire magic, he charged toward Kratos, the man counting Sora's blows with careful ax strikes. The two were match-to-match for the next minute before they both slid back. Sora took out an Elixir and crushed it in his hands, feeling it's healing power course through him. Giving Kratos a look saying 'go heal now, I did', the man didn't, he just closed his eyes and took a deep breath… All his wounds were gone. _What?! _Sora shouted in his mind, wondering how he just… Shaking his head, Sora summoned his Convect Chain and let the weapon's weight adjust to his hand. Kratos to Sora's surprise put his ax away and cracked his knuckles.

"Wait… How are you going to fight without your weapon?" Sora asked, with Kratos giving his opponent a weak chuckle. Letting his inner power course through him, Kratos charged into Sora like a wild animal, his fists emblazoned with fire. Sora blocked some strikes before rolling out of the way, dashing to give himself time to transform his weapon. Leaping in the air, Sora felt the power click, activating his Convect Chain's second form change, two metal balls coating his hands while chains snaked over his two arms. Kratos paused at this, his eyes wide for a brief second. Sora's clothes mirrored that of a convect's, the black and white stripes now a blur as Sora bobbed and weaved in between ranged punches. Kratos took some hits before using his shield to block the attacks.

The man took a moment's rest, with Sora ready to land another strike… Before Sora realized Kratos actually had chains on his arm too. _How did I not notice that? _Kratos summoned his Blades of Chaos, blood stained on the steel and its grip looking something out of hell itself. Sora actually shook seeing the weapons, seeing… So much history in just how tired and rustic the weapons looked. Sora couldn't admire them for long, as Kratos let out a powerful battle cry, sending the blades in Sora's direction. He jumped in the air and used his flowmotion to fling himself toward a nearby tree to avoid another strike. Kratos shot the weapons like they were bullets, them hitting Sora with precision, using his own balled fists to block the attacks. Sora smirked, thinking of an idea. Using his flowmotion again, he used one hand to swing around the tree while his other free hand used the balled fist to swing around. Kratos rolled away from each attack before leaping in the air and unleashing a surge of fire in Sora's direction.

Sora leaped off the tree before it could burn his hand, but was surprised with a strike to the face. Screaming in pain, Sora landed in a thud on the ground, his vision blurred by red. Touching his face, Sora was surprised to see blood dripping down. His keyblade back to it's Kingdom Key form, Sora used the weapon to get himself up. Kratos' eyes narrowed, seeing Sora's now very visible scar across his eyes. The fact he still somehow was able to see surprised the former god, but he simply smirked, Sora glaring at Kratos. "That's it!" Sora felt his inner darkness slowly take over, his body turning pure black. To his shock, he didn't just wield the Kingdom Key, but also the Void Gear in his right hand. Sora's body covered in black, his blue and red eyes charged into Kratos like a wild animal, the two weapons clashing with Kratos' Blades of Chaos. Sora warped away as Kratos lunged his blades toward him, leaping in the air and jabbing the keyblades into the ground, unleashing a surge of darkness toward Kratos.

The man rolled away from the attack and saw Sora's eyes unmoving, body in full control. He frowned at this, but couldn't reflect more as Sora threw one of his keyblades at Kratos, the man blocking it effortlessly, but Sora's dark form smirked as if that was the intention. Kratos spun around, wielding his ax once more and slammed the weapon into Sora's shoulder, making his dark form encased in complete ice. Kratos collected himself, walking back slowly to give himself some distance. Retracting the ax, Sora fell to the ground, his dark form gone but still having two keyblades in hand. Sora jabbing one of the weapons in the ground, he slugged down a Hi-Potion and threw the bottle aside. Picking up both weapons once more, he glared at Kratos with his blue and red enraged eye's, meeting Kratos' own aged blood red ones.

They screamed like warriors, charging into one another. Sora used more skillful strikes and leaps, while Kratos matched Sora's movements with heavy swings and powerful punches. He grabbed Sora and dashed toward a nearby tree. Slammed against the tree, Kratos started punching Sora rapidly, unable to block the attacks. Sora, getting desperate, bit into Kratos' arm, but the man just shrugged off the futile effort, landing a powerful punch across Sora's face.

Falling to the ground, Sora hissed in pain, crushing an Either in his palm to recharge his magic. "C-Cure." Sora weakly shouted, his Kingdom Key slowly letting the magic course through him. Sora stood tall and spat out some blood. "I can take it. I… I can take more hurt." Sora grits his teeth and hissed, with Kratos pausing. "What?! I faced thousands of heartless, nobodies and fought much worse than _you_!" Sora pointed his keyblade at Kratos. "I'm going home! I'm finding Kairi again! And you aren't going to stop me!" Sora charged at Kratos, but the man just put a hand on Sora's shoulder. His keyblade dematerialized, Sora started punching Kratos rapidly but the man caught Sora's other fist after the second blow. Being unable to move, just started to cry. Kratos just let Sora fall to his knees, releasing Sora from his grip and the hero breaking down.

"...Sora." Kratos said quietly, Sora looking up at him. "Come." Kratos helped Sora up, and the two walking toward the now ravaged park's edge. They saw the sun slowly rise, coating the city with its healing rays. He put a hand on Sora's shoulder, the two of them watching the sunset. "I've faced many trials in my life. But I became a monster." Sora turned toward Kratos, seeing… not the monster he and others called him, but a broken man with little left. "You, you aren't a monster." He put his other hand on Sora and kent down, the man's powerful presence feeling heavy. "You have power. Potential. Not unlike my boy." Kratos let go and turned around, not wanting Sora to see his wet face. "Now, leave. Fight. Be a hero." Kratos walked off, his form slowly vanishing into the background. Sora wiped his face and noticed something glowing in his hands. Opening his palm, he saw a roman keychain. Clipping it on his kingdom key, it changed form. While the handle mirrored Kratos ax, the blade itself mirrored the man's dual blades. Blood red steel, various black flame marks, with the tip of the keyblade having an ax's hilt. Sora made his weapon vanish, falling on his back and letting the sun's light cool his battered body.

* * *

Kairi and Riku were flying around near The Land of Departure, unsure where their next destination is at all. She felt ready with her new 'Lightshow' Style Change, something Riku smirked at but Kairi felt the name stuck. The image of Sora fawning over her new form was enough to drive her onward, much to Riku's amusement. The two lost in space for a good few hours, however, ruined the somewhat excited mood, causing Kairi to ask, "Riku… Are we lost?"

Riku shook his head, though he wasn't sure how right he was currently. "We aren't lost… But the ship doesn't read any nearby worlds." He rubbed his chin but felt something in his chest hurt. Falling on his knees, Kairi rushed over to him. _Riku! _She _never _saw him in this much pain, even after the battle with Xemnas where both him and Sora were pretty beat up. "What…" The keyblade master clenched his fist, trying to keep his connection to Sora, however fleeting it was. He pounded it into the ship, refusing to lose his best friend yet again.

"Riku!" Kairi helped him up but her body started shaking violently, falling on the ground. "I… This hurts… It hurts so much…" She was wincing in pain, feeling… _Sora?! _She clung on to the feeling, despite how much _pain _it was causing. She felt… His body nearly broken, vision somewhat blurred and a warm sun shining on his face. "Sora…" She said through tears, fear of losing her connection to him for good was finally happening. _H-How… When we know he's… _

"That idiot…" Riku grit his teeth and crushed an Elixir in his hands, it's healing power coursing through his body. He chucked one to Kairi, the Princess of Light mirroring him. Taking some deep breaths, Riku spotted a golden vortex. "We have to get him back soon before he kills himself." He forced himself to the captain's chair, taking slow breaths to relax his body. Looking at his hand, he let out a sigh of relief, his fleeting connection to Sora still there.

"R-Right," Kairi responded, her body recovering from that violent shock to her system. Riku taking the wheel, Kairi rested in his chair and wondered _what _caused Sora to get that hurt. She couldn't feel what caused it, but her hand was clenched in a thick ball. Opening her wrist, she blinked, seeing a strange keychain. "Riku…."

"What's up Kai?" Riku turned around, seeing the keychain in her hand. Taking it, he studied the odd thing, seeing… a silver crown, not unlike Sora's necklace. Passing it to Kairi, she put it on Destiny's Embrace and it transformed into something not unlike Sora's Starlight, but with the blade being coated with yellow coloring and the edge having a heart. "How did you get that?"

"I think… Sora gave it to me." Kairi pondered, resting the weapon in her lap. The two looked outside the Gummi Ship, seeing the odd magical fog clear up and seeing a somewhat ruined castle in the distance. Purple Butterfly Flags got the duo's attention. "We're here!" Kairi said excitedly as if she and Riku didn't have a near panic attack moments earlier. Seeing her jump out of the ship, Riku shook his head and turned on it's cloaking systems. Kairi looked around, seeing the land of Mewni for the first time. The odd warnicorn giving her the stink eye made her giggle, but to her surprise, was a blond girl riding on one of them. "Woah!" Kairi rolled out of the way, the blond girl trying to calm her steed down. "Watch where you're going girl!"

"Sorry about that." The blond girl hopped off her warnicorn, giving Kairi a warm smile. She wore a blue dress, a narwhal on the hemming's side and her boots having oddly tipped edges. What got her attention the most, outside of her warm smile, was the radiant red hearts on her cheeks. "Name's Star Butterfly! Princess… Eh, _former _princess of Mewni." Kairi shook her hand, giving a warm smile back in response.

Riku walked up to them, ready to give his introductions but a red-hooded boy pointed his katana at him. "Star… Who are these guys… I think they are with the other key fella." Riku and Kairi tilted their heads at this, summoning their keyblades. "They are! Oh boy… We just fended off two of them a few weeks ago."

"Nah, they seem cool," Star said casually, with Marco giving her a dumbfounded look. Giving her bestie a loving look saying 'it's going to be okay', he relented, putting his blade away and holding out his hand. "This is Marco! My future little prince…" She pinched his cheek, with Marco blushing vividly. Kairi giggled at the sight, with Riku just folding his arms.

"Nice to meet you two, name's Riku. Have you seen any heartless around?" Riku asked, wondering if Master Sora's reasoning for them being here was for more than Kairi getting stronger. Star and Marco looked at one another, them having a silent conversation. "They have yellow eyes, are pure darkness, hard to miss."

"We've fought them," Marco said firmly, rubbing his arm. "They are hard to take out." Star frowned, with Marco patting her shoulder. "Eclipsa will eventually listen to us about how we can't control them."

"Wait, you have someone here that controls them?" Kairi asked, being genuinely surprised. She didn't feel an ounce of darkness in the castle before them. Star just clapped her hands, rubbing them and shooting a stream of magic to launch herself toward the castle. "Uh… That doesn't answer…"

"I will fill you both in," Marco said good-naturedly, smiling at Star's antics. The trio followed Star, unaware of two masked figures watching from the forest nearby.

* * *

"Sora! Please wake up!" A familiar female voice uttered. _K-Kairi? _Sora thought, his half-dazed mind not thinking straight. His blurry vision saw a mess of red hair hovering over him, making him pretty sure it was her...

"You seriously let him challenge Kratos?!" Another familiar voice uttered, his calm tone masking his clear anger at the situation. _Joker? How are you in the realm of light… _

"I didn't want him going but he was too thick-headed," Tifa said in defeat. Sora groaned, slowly getting up but to his surprise... He couldn't see. Touching his face, he felt a black cloth covering his eyes. Taking it off, he saw various faces huddled around his bed. Strelitzia was the most relieved, tackling Sora into a hug and making him blink in surprise. _W-What is going on? _Sora remembered fighting Kratos and… Passing out in the park. The man just vanished through, making Sora confused if he's okay or not. "Sora… You okay?"

"I… I think so." He rubbed his head, giving a sheepish smile. Joker gave Sora an exasperated look, the hero brushing his finger over his nose. "I didn't win if you're wondering. But I got this out of it." Sora held out his new keyblade, with Joker whistling and patting Sora's back, but he winced from the touch. "Still hurts… Ow…" But the slap in the face from Strelitzia made everyone blink. "Hey! What was that…"

"You idiot! You could have died!" She shouted, her face clearly distressed. Sora was shocked she was actually crying. _She looks just like how Kairi did when I came back after… _Sora just hugged her, patting her back. "Sora…"

"I've come back from worse, you don't know me well enough yet," Sora said smoothly, with Joker snickering in the background. Tifa coughed, getting the two to separate. "Is Kratos still…"

"No, he left 7th Heaven and no one's seen him. Trust me, I was going to hunt him down and bash his skull in if he hurt you." Tifa pats Sora's shoulder, making the keyblade wielder smile. "Hey, lost Cloud and can't find him, don't want to lose my other spiky haired friend."

The door opened, with Neku and Shiki rushing inside. "Sora!" They both shouted in unison. "You okay?!" Sora hand waved things and stood out of the bed, making a heroic pose, but wincing at his sore body. Neku shook his head while Shiki just sighed in relief.

"Surprised at how fast your body heals." Sora turned toward the door, seeing Adam folding his mechanical arms. 9S was standing next to him, having a relieved smile. "I was going to give you new eyes, but 9S insisted I don't argument you." 9S sighed and pointed to Sora's eyes.

"Your eyes are fine, but we couldn't get rid of the scar." Sora blinked, taking out his Gummi Phone and frowned at his reflection. A red scar was right across his blue eyes, very visible and something he couldn't cover up.

"It looks cool at the very least," Sora said with a glass-half-full mentality. He laid back down in bed, looking at nothing in particular. "So, I feel ready enough to venture to that castle." Strelitzia pouted at the suggestion, with Sora looking at her without getting up. "We have to head out soon or later, we got friends in danger in those 'worlds' as Joshua called them."

"Yeah," 9S added, leaning on the wall and tapping his chin. "You can keep the headband, by the way, got a lot of them." Sora smiled, tying the object around his right wrist. Laying in his bed, he looked at nothing in particular.

"So, some morning this was, huh?" Sora joked earning laughter or tired sighs from his group. As they slowly left the room, Strelitzia the only one remaining. She walked toward the door, giving Sora a worried expression. "I really did face worse." She turned around on a dime, her blue eyes blinking. Slowly sitting on his bed, Sora got up and sat next to her. He looked at his hands, his eyes somewhat lost. "When I found out how to save Kairi years ago, I willingly used this…" He summons his keyblade. "And I did what I felt was right to save her." He pointed the weapon to his chest before vanishing it. "I was so scared… Unsure if I could ever come back, but all I thought was 'If Kairi is okay, that's all that matters'. And she got me back." Sora gave a weak smile, but it slowly shifted to a frown.

"She's your special one, huh?" Strelitzia asked, with Sora nodding. She took Sora's hand and firmly squeezed it. "I remember… Having a special one too. He didn't say much to me, but I never really approached him. I was so… scared he wouldn't be my friend. When I finally had the nerve to do something… I don't remember what happened next." Sora squeezed back, the girl looking up at him.

"We are both going to be strong, for our loved ones," Sora said firmly, Strelitzia seeing the fire in his eyes. She smiled back, nodding and standing up. "I'm going to get some rest for the day, my body is sorta broken." She covered her mouth at the comment. "Not like that! ...You take things too literally."

"You… You are something else sleepy head." She shook her head and left the room, but Sora's body froze, long after Strelitzia left the room. Seeing Shibuya's city nearly glowing with the sun shining, Sora sighed and rested his head on the soft pillows. Letting his mind rest, Sora just went into dreamland and hoped the trails ahead won't be nearly as painful.

* * *

Coming out of a Corridor of Darkness, Roxas and his merry band studied the town of Radiant Garden for the first time. Roxas whistled at how cool the town looked, being a mixture of mechanical gears, water-lanes and large streets matching nicely to the distant whiff of magic in the air. "Trust me Rox, this place isn't at special." Lea elbowed Roxas, the later grinning.

"I remember you fondly telling me you loved this world." Isa spat back playfully, with Lea giving his best friend a 'really now' expression. Xion and Roxas giggled at the sight, the two finding one another and holding hands. Xion's eyes were the most at awe though, never visiting this world during her Organization days.

What took Roxas' off guard was how different it looked to Sora's memories of this town. He remembered a castle being under repair, but now it stood tall in the background. Even the streets and alleyways looked different. But one look into Ven's memories caused Roxas put the pieces together. "Yeah, they really restored this place to its glory days." Xion smiled at Roxas being genuinely happy. And well rested for once, as the two were having a hard time sleeping lately.

The four couldn't enjoy the peace for long, as heartless suddenly popped up. "Come on, _here _too?" Lea groaned, flicking his wrist and summoning his keyblade. "Glad I can finally summon this puppy again, thanks for the training Rox." The blond nodded and summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Xion stood defensively beside Roxas, her Kingdom Key shining. Isa sighed and summoned a smaller version of the Claymores he used to wield back in the Organization. Roxas landed the first few blows, using various Raid Strikes with Oathkeeper while using spells with his Oblivion.

Xion attacked with basic slashes and a fire blasts, sending the weaker heartless flying. Sliding next to Roxas, the two smirked and held hands, unleashing a tornado of keyblade strikes. Lea watched this and couldn't help but smile. A heartless coming right at him, Isa smacked it like a baseball. "Focus on the fight, not on our lovebirds."

"Yeah yeah…" Lea retorted, using his keyblade and after some slashes, he made his blade transform into chakrams once more, throwing them to take down the large body heartless. Smaller heartless popped up, making the four collective sigh. As if answering their call, two female warriors landed before them. One had pink hair, using a gunblade , not unlike Leon's. The other had silver hair and her eyes were covered with a black blindfold. They said nothing, just eradicating the heartless. Leaving nothing but the floating hearts, the two women turned to the group.

Xion and Roxas were on guard, with Isa just casually walking up to the warriors. "Hello, we are here to see Ansem the Wise about our friend Sora." The two looked one another, nodding and picking up the four effortlessly. "Can you put me down?"

"Why are you so calm?!" Lea shouted, with Isa just having a blank expression as per usual. Roxas and Xion were picked up by the pink haired woman, them not budging, having the feeling she would kill them if they moved a muscle. Eventually, they were carelessly dropped inside a building. Well, Isa and Lea were dropped carelessly, with the silver-haired woman walking back outside without a care in the world. Lea would have shouted at her if it wasn't for her very sharp katana and little robot helper aimed right at him.

The pink haired woman carefully dropped Roxas and Xion, meeting them at eye level, worried blue eyes meeting her focused ones. "You two are too young to be fighting." She commented, with Roxas rolling his eyes. He was about to counter, but laughter familiar to him got his attention. The pink haired woman stood up, pointing behind her. "We saw these four coming out of a darkness portal. You told me that was bad news, so 2B and I got the jump on them."

Isa had a look toward Lea screaming 'I told you that was a bad idea', but Lea completely ignored him. "So… Leon was it?" The black haired man in the leather jacket smirked, his eyes drifting toward Roxas. "You were a friend of Sora's, right?"

"Yeah, you know him to kid?" Leon asked Roxas, the later looking around the room. He saw a lot of people from Sora's memories, including a new face or two. Roxas and Xion spotted a large table, deciding to sit down. Isa smiled at how bold and clam the two were, patting Lea's shoulder in pride. Lea smirked and joined his friends. "We haven't seen in him in a while, so if you could fill us in, that would be great."

Roxas nodded and folded his hands together, ready to tell a very long, complex and even he would argue convoluted adventure he shared with Sora the past few years.

* * *

"Take that!" Strelitzia shouted, her keyblade hitting the training dummy in Barret's gym. Ever since Sora fell asleep, the girl has been using her Starlight Keyblade to learn new combo's and practice chaining her magic spells into that flowmotion stuff Sora always uses. Thinking of him made her chest hurt, shaking off the odd annoyance and landing another three hit combo on the training dummy. The thing tumbled over, she smirked in victory, but odd clapping got her attention. She jumped, pointing her keyblade at the figure before her.

"Easy there…" Joker slowly walked up to her, his gloved hands up. "I'm just watching. Keep at it." She sighed and resumed her fighting, picking the dummy up and trying some leaping strike. Joker leaned on the wall, his arms folded and eyes studying her. "...You aren't just fighting for yourself."

She finished the combo, making the dummy crash into the wall. Its arms were actually falling off with how shoddy the thing was put together. "Yeah, I got friends here to fight for. And I want to go home." She focused on a Blizzard spell. "I want to see my brother again…"

"And be with Sora." Joker added, making the girl stumble and the Blizzard attack nearly freezing her in place. She dashed out of the way just in time, but now there was a strange ice block on the ground. Joker shook his head, snapping his fingers and making Arsene use a weak Agi attack to melt the ice. "I know how to read a room, been doing that for a while now."

"...Is that a problem?" She asked so quietly, that no one would have heard her. Joker, being a master at sneaking around and having his special second-sense ability, he could hear his fellow allies feet above and below him. Noticing he heard her, Strelitzia's face turned a shade of red and started playing with her fingers.

"Right now, nah," Joker answered, walking around and playing with his dagger. "But when you both head home? Yeah, it's gonna be an issue." Joker spun his dagger on his index finger, walking around the room. "See, I know what it's like to have two girls falling for you. It… It was something I had to handle." He paused walking, his eyes looking at the dartboard across from them. "Sora though, his eyes are on one target." Joker threw the dagger right at the dartboard center. "And it's that Kairi girl." She looked at her hands, knowing this, but it still hurt being told this information. Joker walked toward his dagger and pulled it off the wall. "He will always be your friend, but know that his heart's already taken. You shouldn't steal a heart that is already stolen." Joker started walking out of the room and turned around, giving a warm smile. "But you knew all this already. Just figured I remind you. Don't want my friends making the same mistakes I did."

"T-Thanks…" Strelitzia muttered, with Joker nodding on his way out the door. She looked at the dummy, which was on the ground. She slowly put it upright, her hands shaking. Summoning her keyblade, she violently smacked the thing backhandedly, making a frustrated scream. She clenched her teeth, trying to get a handle of her emotions but the confusion just wouldn't leave her heart. Remembering what Master Ava told her, she closed her eyes and focused on happy memories.

"_When you feel darkness tempt your heart, remember who your light is."_

"_But my light doesn't know I exist…"  
"Make him know you exist."_

"_...I don't know if I can."_

"_You can wield the keyblade and you are the future. May your heart, be your guiding key." _

Opening her eyes, Strelitzia took a deep breath and entered a more composed battle stance. "I will fight. You may not know or understand, but you _are _my light." She started making various slashes with her weapon, with Joker watching from the nearby stairs. Having a somewhat relieved smile, he fixed his coat and went back to the tavern.

* * *

**_7_**_** \- Thank you for your kind words.**_

_**redlox2 - It really is funny when you put it like that. It also shows how important it is for those who eventually do get the keyblade, earning the right to 'officially' use one is something to be prideful of. And my favorite keyblades in KH3 were the Wheel of Fate, Nano Arms and Hunny Blasters (the last one is so easy to upgrade and it's really funny seeing Sora just shoot a giant honey bee at people). And you bring up a very good point that I didn't even think about; Xigbar comments on a reward for Sora for all his trials. Him becoming the MASTER of all Masters is a pretty damn good reward to get I would imagine. Wonder this concept is really going to be something Namora plays with. **_

_**H.R.C. Stanley - Kairi's fighting style is something of a mixture between Sora's and Mickey's, so it's fun to play around and explore what she can pull off. **_

_**Dom2040 - You will see soon enough :). **_

_**TrinityXaos - And it's no problem asking questions! I love people engaging with my writing, so never feel bad about asking them. Anyway, your question about Vanitias is simple; the guy had red eyes in Birth By Sleep. After KH3, there are two running theories (one I'm not running with due to conflicting with my story) but the other theory is that he literally becomes Sora's shadow and/or joins with Ventus post-KH3's ending. Not being under Xehanort's influence any longer, there is no reason for him to have the yellow eyes. Plus, it's for a stylistic choice, with Sora's blue mixing with the more violent red is such a stark mental image. **_

_**Lil' Chaos - Like I said to Trinity, never feel bad about asking questions. I can't answer all your points right now for your latest review, but I will say a few things. Firstly, I love writing Luxu too. The whole idea of the Organization members being whole again is fun, as they can play with more complex characterizations and writing (them growing hearts vs having fully restored hearts equates to the later realistically having a more defined personality). So Luxu and the others are a hoot to write. Splitting up the Foretellers was a writing choice I'm happy I went with; I'm already juggling a ton of characters, don't want things to get too messy. Your point about the MoM is great and I will be sure to address more of his character pretty soon actually. **_

_**Sentinel07 - I like to imagine that the keyblades Ven, Terra, and Aqua had during BBS the base ones from when you start their adventure. I say that mainly due to how they aren't back at square one per say, but unlike Sora who still has all his keychains from KH3, they lost a lot on the path becoming 'complete' again. So I will be sure to clear up Aqua's and Ven's keyblade soon when they show up again. HTTYD is my favorite movie series as well, so great minds and all that :). **_

_**KingJGamer - I'm going, to be honest with you, I have no clue on who you are referring too. I never mentioned a Travis in my story at all. But how Sora turns into the MoM and vice versa will be addressed as we continue. **_

_**blackpackager - Good points and I guess we can say Sora is into Red-Heads :'). **_

_**prince of underbrush - I don't know what you're talking about at all buddy ;)... But Charity did piece things together, just had a bit of delayed reaction. And you think**_** _THAT's interesting, well, imagine Ven realizing he had more friends than just Terra and Aqua... _**


	15. Bring on the Heat!

_**This chapter was a fun one to write, as we are going to be following Master of Master's side of things here and the following chapter exclusively. Why? You will see as you read it :). Also, this might counter some theories people put together since KH3's release (as honestly the other star in 'The Final World' could be either Ava OR Strelitzia canon-wise). Either way, hope you enjoy the next chapter in our very long adventure :D.**_

* * *

Being in the world with _gods_, what location does the Master of Masters visit? The underworld, because that's where the _real _action is at. _Not really but I want to find my daughter. _Master Sora thought tiredly to himself, genuine annoyance covering his scarred face. Touching his eyes, Sora winced, the pain from his younger self challenging the **god of war himself **still makes Sora laugh. Summoning the Fallen God, a name he gave the keyblade, he smiled, tossing it carelessly between his hands. "What to do…" Sora saw the ever familiar two-path entrance the underworld had upon his first arrival decades ago. "What…" He pointed left. "To…" He pointed right. "Do." He pointed left, sighing to himself. "Here we go, fighting Hades _yet again_… That guy is such a pain."

Walking toward the ever friendly Moogle, Master Sora bent down, scratching the hologram's chin and sliding him a bunch of money. Getting a few Hi-Potions, Sora fixed his black and red hoodie, walking into Cave of the Dead, lovely place for a domain of death. Feeling the thick fog coating the air, Sora waved his hand, shivering somewhat from unnerving vibe the distant black and greens were giving him. His blue eyes spotted a nearby rocky pillar, focusing on it and using his air step to launch toward it, holding on with one hand while the other was used to focus… His vision still was adjusting after having his eye put back in its socket. _Will never get over that by the way… _He thought to himself, his eyes focusing on… A head of blond hair with a keyblade? "Looks to girly to be my brother." Sora focused on the person, wondering if he could air step over there.

To his surprise, the pillar broke and he crashed down in the ground. The various spirits were clearly started, turning into solider and nightseeker heartless. "Did I mention I hate this part of Olympus?" Sora flicked his right hand, summoning his Metal Chocobo, grip on the keyblade adjusting just using it for the first time since he was a kid. Rushing into the heartless, Sora slashed and weaved, taking care of the creatures effortlessly with the black keyblade. His eyes saw a bunch of large heartless heading deeper into the cave. "Do I really want to help Blondy?" Sora felt his hero-senses tingling and sighed. "Here we go!" He jumped and using his gliding, he rocketed through, smirking at not having to explore fog-filled-caves and landed right in front of the blond woman. "You can use a keyblade, right?"

The woman turned around, seeing Sora and making a loud laugh. "Well, didn't expect your pretty face to be down here." Sora rolled his eyes, knowing the song and dance with this one _just _from her tone.

"Zap me with lightning..." Sora gave a cocky grin, using a powerful Thunderza spell and ending all the heartless in the area. The spirits nearby flew off, with Sora making his weapon vanish. "...Oh! Look at that, I can shoot lighting better than you." The woman gave an unimpressed look, making Sora sag his shoulders. "Sigh… What are you doing here? Same deal as Marluxia?" The mention of his name made Larxene's eyes grow wide, with Sora making a toothy smile. "Well, I guess I figured out why you joined the black coats club."

"Yeah…" She trailed off, holding her arms and looking across the vast underworld, spirits and ghouls hovering like an oppressive force. "I meet him early on in the Organization and we hit it off. I even said that having a heart is just painful." Sora winced at the comment, letting his arms lay limp and listening to his former foe speak. "Lauriam… You said you found him." She turned to Sora, her expression was earnestly worried. "He's okay?"

"You are _actually _nice now…" Sora whistled, earning a dark frown from Larxene. "Well, he's fine. Training with _wise _Yen Sid." She picked up on Sora's bitter tone about the wizard, noticing him walking ahead. She followed, wondering what he would say next. Sora folded his hands behind his back, feeling teacherly for some reason. "He said he was looking for a sister…" Sora didn't pause walking but did finish speaking. Larxene tapped her chin, running up to Sora. She noticed his conflicted face. "...What." Sora's blue eyes sparked with annoyance.

She covered her mouth and started laughing. "Oh my…" Sora gave a deep frown and tried giving her the 'Roxas glare'. Her laughing continuing clearly didn't make it work. "If my hubby found out you…"

"Quiet or I won't help you." Sora hissed, making Larxene grow dead silent. She never heard Sora get that harsh toward anyone, not even Xehanort. Growing silent, Sora coughed. "He's fine and I have an idea where his sister is." Sora rubbed his neck. "Sadly, don't know _how _to open the door back to my little domain. Lost the key."

Larxene would have laughed if it wasn't so pathetic to her. "...So all grown up and still a dumb hero." Sora rolled his eyes and kept walking. "My name is Elrena if your wondering." Sora turned around, his two eyes studying her. Elrena's eyes were blue like his, matching her blue jacket and black leather skirt. Her blue boots snaked most of her leg, seemingly having a lot of support for long travels. Elrena's hair nor face looked different from her Nobody form. "Like what you see?"

"You're great, but you have someone waiting for you," Sora said bluntly, though his tone was playful. She smirked and summoned her keyblade. Sora studied it, the weapon not looking much different from Laurium's and Strezliza's but instead of flowers, it was covered with lightning bolts. "Remember your master?"

"Ava!" She shouted excitedly, making Sora jump. "She was so nice to us. Hope she's okay, my memory is a bit fuzzy on what happened after…" She tapped her chin, shaking her head when no answer came to her. "I don't know exactly."

"That's why I'm here," Sora said seriously, putting his hands on Elrena's shoulders. "Gula and Invi are in another world for clues, but I have a strong feeling she's here." Sora clenched his chest. "I just feel it…"

"Outside of seeing what you can do as a handsome man, I want to help get my master back." She held out her hand, with Sora rolling his eyes and shaking it. "Great! So, I never came here during my Organization days, so finding out where to go is your call."

"We aren't heading toward Hade's Pit of Souls, but I got a feeling we are going to find something else." Sora kicked the big door in front of him, leading to a massive coliseum. "So this thing is still here… Used to be in the center of the underworld…" The two keyblade wielders slowly passed by various monsters and spirits of all kinds, the narrow walkway slowly revealing something, not unlike a boxing ring. Sora and Elrena found some empty seats, various souls sitting around and watching two little imps announce the next challengers. "Want me to get us some popcorn?"

"Really?" Elrena asked, with Sora shrugging his shoulders. "I don't think they even _sell _that here." Sora sighed and folded his arms, accepting his stomach would have to wait a few hours. His eyes studied… Pain and Panic was it? Those little guys seemed alright, never bothered him. _Hades was the pain the rear._

"Today we have two very special challenges." Pain announced, tapping the mic to make sure it was working. "This thing on? Hello? HELLO?!"

"Yes! It's working!" Hades erupted out of a pillar of blue flames. "Can't even get you nitwits to be announcers correctly… How far have I fell." Sora shouted boo and shot a blast of ice at the lord of hell, getting boringly look toward Sora's direction. "I don't take kindly to…" His yellow eyes went wide. "WHAT?! HOW ARE YOU HERE!?"

Sora stood heroically from his seat, Elrena covering her face begging this new nightmare to end. "I'm here to find my student!" Sora jumped from his seat and landed in the ring, his pose mirroring that of his pal Herc. Hade felt his head throb from annoyance, taking in some deep breaths. "Tell me, good sir, where would I find the Fox."

"Fox?" Hades calmed down, his face genuinely confused. He remembered all the souls he collected and no fox ever… He suddenly had a toothy smile, one that Sora _really _didn't like. "Well, champ." Hades threw an arm around Sora. "Grown-up have you? Like the figure." Sora wasn't sure how to respond to this quick change in attitude. "Say… I know _exactly _who you are looking for! She's just getting prepped for her thousandth match."

"_**What,**_" Sora said to Hades, his voice a strange mixture of his own and Vanitias. Hades nearly flinched at the amount of darkness coming out of the mini-sunspot, but he kept his toothy smile. Snapping his fingers, he had a mic land in his hands. "_**Where is my daughter.**_"

"Ladies, gentlemen, spirits of all kinds!" Hades completely ignored Sora, not noticing his right eye turn a shade of red. "We got a _spicy _fight tonight. In this corner… Keyblade Kiddo now man, Sora!" The crowd booed harshly, with Elrena giving a weak clap. Sora would have made a snarky thought if his mind wasn't scared about what this _**heaven **_did to his daughter. "Annnnd in this corner, the foxy for your moxie… the girl any soul would die _again _to be with... " The figure erupted in a storm of pink flowers, Sora's eyes turning blue on a dime. "Avvvvvvvvvvva!"

Master Sora took deep breaths to calm himself down. _Remember, you dealt with this kind of thing before. With Riku… Roxas faced this with Xion… You faced this with losing Kairi… _Calming himself down, he stood tall and summoned his Kingdom Key. The woman before him was his daughter, only he could notice though. Her mask was gone, replaced with cold green eyes and flowing red hair. Her figure was the same, but instead of her pink robe, it was a purple battle dress, not unlike Kairi's pink hoodie-dress; it even had a hood with fox ears. Ava's arms were snaked with purple gloves. In an odd touch, she donned her fox ears, but it was in a headband. _Guess Gula and Invi were in the right direction all along, Ava taking notes from that princess. _Ava studied Sora, her green eyes… Seeing _someone _familiar, but her lack of emotions didn't help her put the pieces together. She instead summoned her keyblade, making Sora teary-eyed.

The memories of crafting the weapon alongside her, the wide-eyed teenager hugging Sora upon summoning the beautiful weapon for the first time. Luxu was a late bloomer, never really summoning his until the master bequeathed him the No Name. Memories of helping his other students summon their weapons nearly made Master Sora fall to his knees but he quickly punched himself in the face. "May my heart…" Sora started as he stood back up, flicking his weapon and entering Second Form. "Be my guiding key!" The Master clashed against Ava, to Sora's relief, blocked the attack effortlessly.

Hades vanished in a puff of smoke, sitting in Sora's seat next to Elrena. "Babe, I'm not gonna hurt ya, just want to watch the show!" Not in the mood, she smacked the god in the head, making him vanish and reappear closer to the ring. "Yesh, Keyblade people, and their mood swings…"

Master Sora and Master Ava's first real clash with their keyblades sent shockwaves in the stadium, making the crowd shout with excitement, but Sora's mind tuned all that out. He recalled doing that during his past bouts here as a teenager. He just focused on making careful strikes, knowing Ava would block them, trying to see _something _in her eyes. _I wish she had yellow ones at this point… _Sora blocked a particularly painful blow. _I would at least tell she had some level of free-will then. _

Ava was so confused, most foes either fought like warriors or just taunted her until she kicked their butt. But this man, nearly on the verge of tears for simply attacking her, confused Ava to no end. Another careful strike from Sora got her attention through, his back-handed attack being vaguely…

* * *

Master Ava sighed, watching her recent pupil get knocked back a few feet by the clearly talented Laurium. The mess of blond hair pounded his fist into the ground, with Laurium holding out his hand. "You okay Ven?"

"Yeah…" Ven replied weakly, taking his best friend's hand and slowly getting up. "Just thought I found my style, you know." Ven was met with a pat on his back from a girl with long black hair. "Don't patronize me Skuld…"

The girl made a knowing laugh, slapping Ven on the back harder. He winced and looked at her, the girls brown eyes having a playful glint to them. "Use that back-handed style you showed Ephemer." Ven rubbed his chin at her suggestion, nodding and sliding back. Laurium gave Skuld a somewhat annoyed look, with the girl just winking in response. "Knock him dead Venny!"

"I'm right here…" Laurium muttered aloud, readying his Starlight Keyblade. Ven flicked his weapon, instead of holding it like his friends, holding it backhandedly. Bending his legs, he charged into Laurium, entering a blur of speed. The pink-haired warrior had a hard time blocking his friend's strikes, using an Areo spell to give himself some breathing room. Ven simply jumped into the wind like the lunatic he was, using the momentum to free fall toward Laurium, the later blocking the attack with the impact felt by everyone near Daybreak Town's infamous fountain.

It was so strong, some water splashed from it, falling over on Ava and getting her robes all wet. Laurium and Skuld covered their mouths in shock, with Ven shouting in joy at being able to get his own wielding style. Getting sharply elbowed by Laurium, Ven frowned. "What? I did it!"

"Yeah, and you got our master all dirty." Laurium bowed, hoping he wouldn't get scolded. His Master's stories of a bear-masked friend making his pupils do push-ups for five hours after playing a simple prank had him gulping in fear. To his surprise, Ava just gave a girlish giggle, making the three wielders blink in confusion. "You aren't mad Master?"

"Mad, why would I be!" She shouted with pride, throwing her hands in the air. "Ven, you finally found your fighting style." She hugged the boy, making him hug his master back with a prideful smile growing on his face. Ava heard a comment from Skuld him being the master's favorite student, but Laurium hushed her on that. Letting Ven go, she sat back down and let her students continue training and hanging out.

Ven's blue eyes made her frown somewhat, seeing someone else in his place, abit a much older man, whenever she looked at him. It was part of the reason she recruited him ever since her master vanished. "Master Sora…" She shook her head, focusing on ensuring her students were ready for what's to come.

* * *

"...Ventus?" Ava said weakly, her voice hoarse as if it wasn't used for years. Master Sora slid back, his backhanded combat style a complete accident. _I kinda slip into it every once in a while, might be the cause of dark and moody sitting in the back of my skull. _Sora theorized, but he didn't care about this odd thought, he _did _care about his daughter remembering her past. He closed his eyes, charging his keyblade and pointing it in the sky. The battlefield was covered in a magical fog, no eyes but Sora's own and Ava's visible. She looked around, seeing stars all around her, with Master Sora holding out his hand.

"Ava, do you remember when I found you?" Sora asked, his voice overflowing with emotion. Ava blinked, her free hand clenching her forehead _trying _to remember something… "You were a scared girl, not too much younger than myself back then.." Sora put a hand on her shoulder, the warrior dropping her keyblade. "You shot magic out of your hands, scared thinking 'oh no, I'm a monster', but I taught you something, didn't I?"

Ava closed her eyes, focusing on the memory nearly within her grasp…

* * *

"H-How did I do that?" Ava asked, her hands glowing a faint pulse. She just shot a ball of light at a man, him on the ground groaning in pain. "Sir! You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm peachy…" He muttered sarcastically, rubbing his neck and his eyes somewhat narrowed. "No way… Kairi?" She blinked at the odd name. She wasn't the sea, her name was Ava. Getting no response from the man, he just gave her a somber expression and sighed, rubbing his neck. "Damn it… Still didn't find her." He got up, stretching his back. "Guess leaving that city meant squat…. Just hope my friends are okay now."

"I… I'm sorry." She hugged herself, her green eyes looking down at her pink flower dress in shame. The man smiled, saying something like 'Oh it's fine, better than other introductions I've gotten' and held out his hand. Ava took it and he helped her up. "I'm Ava, one of the florists in the town. I work in that shop over there." She pointed down the block, the brightly lit city of Daybreak Town shining brightly.

"Since we're doing introductions, I'm Sora." He gave a toothy smile, lugging his Kingdom Key behind his back. "Since you used a Holy Light attack, I'm assuming you are a white mage." She tilted her head, confusion evident on her face. "Oh… A world where magic is not yet defined. I can work with that." He knelt down, letting his Kingdom Key rest on his lap. "I think, you have the potential to use this." Ava looked down at the weapon. "I know, a stranger offering you how to fight may seem odd, but you…" Sora bit his lip, sighing at himself. "Remind me of someone I really care about. Don't want you to get hurt, like what happened to her."

"Okay, sir." Ava bowed, making Sora scratch his neck. "You are a master, so I…" Sora dematerialized his keyblade, ruffling her hair. "Don't do that…"

"Forcive habit. Now, show me about this flower shop you work at, want to get my first student a gift." Sora smiled, Ava excitedly guiding Sora to the flower shop.

* * *

Ava touched her face, open eyes now leaking tears. "M-Master? You finally found me again…" Sora hugged the girl, her eyes letting pent out tears. "I… I lost so much. My students, my family…" Her body glowed a bright light, Sora wondering if that was from Ava's heart finding her body again, not unlike how Roxas appeared out of nowhere during the fight with Xion and Isa. _I finally kept my promise. _

"You won't lose it again, not over my dead body." Sora let go and made the semi-force field vanish. Everyone in the underworld looked at the two warriors, seeing them smile at one another. "Yeah, sorry for the show ending early, complain to ticketmaster over there." He pointed at the now livid Hades. Sora leaned toward Ava, whispering, "You want to knock him into next week? He's sorta been using you for X amount of time." Ava frowned, holding out her keyblade and shooting a massive ball of light at Hades. The god of death was sent flying toward the bleachers, spirits scared at her livid green eyes. Creatures and spirits scurrying away, Sora pat her shoulder proudly. "That's my girl."

Ava smiled and looked at herself, frowning. "...Why am I coated in darkness?" Sora rubbed his chin, snapping his fingers and summoning her robe. Ava took it thankfully and closed her eyes, letting something much more comfortable materialize over her body. "Much better."

"...You going to explain what's going on 'Master' Sora?" Elrena asked, with Sora and Ava walking out of the stadium much to the spirits relief, they couldn't stand the latter's nearly radiant light. "You went from a little annoying hero to the father of my master? Don't tell me Kairi…"

"Elrena!" Ava shouted, hugging her student. "Sorry, your Master has been gone." Elrena hugged Ava back, a warm smile forming on her face. Letting Ava go, the Keyblade Master rubbed her chin. "...If you are okay decades later, I assume the rest of the Dandelions are?"

"Yeah," Sora answered, folding his arms behind his back, Ava recalling his many lessons with her and her fellow Masters. "I bumped into Laurium earlier and he's with Yen Sid, a lovely fellow by the way. Ven's back home with his new friends, my other child watching over him right now." Sora tapped his chin, wondering if he should detail about Strezliza's whereabouts. "The student that went missing is okay, but we will worry about her later." Ava blinked, remembering Laurium and Elrena looking for... "Your brothers and sisters are okay too if you're wondering." Sora continued, getting Ava out of her thoughts. "You would get a hoot how _friendly _Aced was upon my awakening. Though Luxu is still the ever charming and reliable student." Sora sighed. "You and he are the only ones I know actually _get _your roles…"

Ava giggled, recalling from Luxu how annoying their master was from time to time. "Good to hear the family didn't change." Sora smiled warmly at her comment, ruffling her hair. "I told you… Stop that."

"Don't worry, I will get you a new Fox mask. My present for being such a good student." Ava rolled her eyes, the trio slowly walking out of the underworld. "If you're wondering where we are, fellow master and future master…" Elrena blinked at Sora's comment but he pushed onward. "We are heading out of hell itself, to the greatness that is…" They left the Underworld, seeing hills and various mountains. Sora slumped his shoulders, rubbing his forehead. "...Forgot Mount Olympus is a far way off."

"You sure are a _great _master, Sora." Elrena teased, with Ava sighing good-naturedly. _What am I going to do with these two… _Sora thought to himself, but seeing his daughter back in the realm of light once more, healed a part of his heart he never thought would recover. "Should we head toward that town?" She pointed her finger at the only town nearby, Herc's satutue visible even from here.

"Yep. Annnd…" Sora smirked at Ava and Elrena. "You will get to meet two of my best friends pretty soon if my hunch is correct." Sora's heart winced, already feeling so much relief and warmth seeing Ava again. _Donald and Goofy being here? It's like Kingdom Hearts is rewarding me for being a good little master. _

"The famous Warrior and Mage?!" Ava shouted, with Sora telling her and the various fortellers tales of a powerful goofy knight and a mage that hated healing him. Sora mouthed a 'yep' and she jumped in place like an excited little girl.

"But first…" Sora held out his semi-broken Gummi Phone, dialing his favorite student. Luxu's somewhat bruised face popped up. "Hey, buddy! I got a surprise!"

"I had enough of your surprises." Luxu moaned, rubbing his face in annoyance. "That dragon kid nearly killed me."

"Come on, beat you to death… Twice? Maybe three times if you count Ven's keyblade." Ava was going to shout but Sora held up a finger, knowing there was a _long _story to tell Ava soon. "But I found her." Luxu's eye went wide, wondering if his master was joking around like he usually does. He turned his phone around, showing him Ava and Elrena. "Oh, and say hello to lighting lady. You two go way back I imagine."

"Haha." Elrena and Luxu said in unison, but the later just looked at Ava, seeing a ghost. "Sis… You are alive…" Ava nodded, giving a weak smile. "I… I'm sorry. If I was…"

"You put up a great fight, completed your role." Ava started, her tone saying 'I forgive you'. Luxu bit his lip, sighing at himself and just putting a smile back on once more. "So Dad giving you more missions?"

"Pops has me watching over his younger self." Ava blinked. "Yeah, long story. Sure he will give you that dream journal that _keeps getting new pages_ and…" Sora took the phone from Ava, giving Luxu a playful smile. "Master, that thing keeps having more stuff added to it. Maybe it's from the challenges you set up but…"

"Things, are going well," Sora said with a smile. Luxu stared at him doubt, wondering if he was just joking again. But nope, Sora's face had an iconic toothy grin, with Luxu sighing once more. "You got a problem pal if you keep sighing like that. Remind me of Eeyore."

"I'm no plush donkey, _Master_," Luxu said exasperatedly. "Well, you make sure Ava doesn't get in any trouble and I will tell Aced and Ira the good news." Sora nodded thankfully. "...I hate myself for saying this, but good job master."

"I'm touched, you actually saying good things about…" Luxu hung up. "My feelings are hurt." Sora made a mock expression, his face wincing and Ava giggling at it. "Okay gang, next stop is the famoGreekeek city of Thebes!"

Sora leads the charge, with Ava having a warm smile on her face and Elrena relieved things are somewhat making sense.

* * *

"Gosh fellas, sure we are in the right part of town?" Goofy asked, his eyes looking around. He remembered fondly visiting the city with Donald and Sora on their last adventure, even seeing Meg helping some of the locals. But no Sora in sight…

"I don't know Goof." Mickey replied, tapping his chin. "Yen Sid said this world's underworld might have what we're looking for, but we found nothing there." The Mouse King and his loyal friends explored the underworld through and through, finding no 'Master' Sora in sight. Mickey chuckled at the image of Sora being an old wise master… "I still can't get over our Sora being a master."

"Master of getting my temper going is more like it." Donald hissed, marching his webbed feet through the city. Goofy laughed at his friend's antics, with Mickey feeling… A rush of nostalgia coming over him. The days of being a simple prince of a kingdom, exploring his home of Disney World, a name he dubbed the world after learning his master's _true _name, and fighting Pete before he became a huge nuisance… Mickey sighed at himself, smiling at the chance to go on another adventure with his lifelong pals.

"Hey!" The trio saw a short goat man glaring at them. "Mouse works is a new face but recognize two heroes when I see them." Donald and Goofy smiled, posing heroically. Mickey feeling left out, just summoned his Keyblade and held it up. "This works, though miss Sora. Oh, that kid…" Phil just started walking around, unaware of the somber expressions on the trio's faces. "Swinging that key like nothing." Phil closed his eyes and wagged his fingers. "The rookie had a lot of work, but hearing from Herc he took down _Titian's… _Well, I think that calls for an official big-time hero, huh fellas?" He opened them, seeing the downcast faces. "What's with the long faces? I said good things bout your pal."

"We… We are looking for our half-pint." Donald said weakly, his voice oddly clear. Mickey was surprised with this, knowing his pal having a strange dialect. He figured it was from his beak. But Mickey, if he was truly honest, only understood Donald 70% of the time. But lately, the duck has been speaking a lot clearer, maybe due to his almost always present frustration and temper subdued. Or at least mellowed. Goofy rubbed his neck awkwardly, patting Donald's shoulder. "When I find him, I'm going to…" Donald went right back to speaking in his own language, as MIckey called it, making the Mouse King sigh.

"Donald?" Mickey turned to his right, seeing someone out of Olympus himself walk toward the duck. Donald kept on quacking, with the heroic man picking him up. Donald went silent, sending him a dirty look. "Nice to see you too."

"Hey Herc." Goofy greeted casually, the two shaking each other's hands. Mickey would have felt his jaw drop if he didn't remember his friends mention the story of Herc to him a few months ago. "This is our pal, Mickey." The king walked up to the demigod, holding out his gloved hand. Part of the mouse was happy that his friends are _finally _dropping the whole King name. Yes, he ruled a kingdom, but he was their friend first, not second.

"Short fella you are," Herc commented, with Mickey laughing good-naturedly. Yen Sid's message of 'stature does not make the hero, the heart does' played in his mind, something never leaving to this day. "Take it Sora's with you guys?" Herc looked around, rubbing his chin. "My dad said Hades has been acting up, even after we took down the Titans…"

"He's here? Where!" Donald and Goofy nearly tackled Herc, the hero making a sheepish laugh. He saw the near longing looks within their eyes, being taken aback.

"...Yeah, I think so anyway." Herc gently pushed them off, fixing his armor. "Phil, mind holding the fort down here?" Phil shook his head, making Herc sigh. "For the last time, I know you aren't sick. Your voice was just sore and that's why you didn't…"

"No way champ." Phil held up his hand, his hopping off the still-repairing pillar he sat on. "I want to see Sora. Gotta feeling he might be stronger than _you _Herc." The demigod blinked at the comment, with Donald laughing so hard, he fell on his back. "Donald, I an't kidding."

"And I can fly." Donald wiped a tear away, with Goofy giving his friend a look. "Sora is strong but Herc is super strong." He pointed to Herc's muscles, with Goofy shrugging his shoulder.

"He did take out Xehanort, Donald…" Goofy suggested, with the duck waving his hand.

"Only cause we were there Goofy." Donald corrected him, with Goofy nodding in agreement. Mickey rubbed the back of his head, unsure what to say. He did know Sora was very powerful, even feeling some magic specifically from his homeworld channeling through him during the last adventure somehow. But the Sora they were looking for wasn't _their _Sora. It was someone else. Mickey recalling memories of looking for Terra, he narrowed his eyes, not falling for the blind hope his friends fell for.

"Let's head to the mountains fellas," Mickey suggested, getting the groups attention. "Maybe our pal's hanging out there." Herc and Phil nodded, the two walking ahead with the later playfully scolding the former about his posture. Donald ran ahead, quacking away about how useful he was during the Keyblade War, vaguely recalling using the forbidden spell Zelta Flare that Mickey refused to believe Donald pulled off. Goofy saw his friend still, his large eyes lost in thought.

"You gotta have faith in Sora, Mic." Goofy said softly, patting his friend's shoulder and waiting till Mickey nodded. Seeing Mickey's warm smile, Goofy shot one back. "Hyuck, see? Sora will be fine." They walked ahead, Mickey feeling a bit better about the current situation.

* * *

_** Next chapter is clearly going to have a scene I've wanted to write since I started making this story, so can't wait to work on it after my shift today :). Review responses are below but I cannot thank you all enough for reading my story. So many words, reviews, and chapters later... You're all still with me. Thank you. **_

_**KaiserUltima - It would make for a great side-plot as Sora and his team explore the 'worlds'... Expect the Master of Masters to use the fabled weapons later on. **_

_**blackpackager - You do feel bad for her, but when Sora is willing to kill himself and has made it pretty clear he has something back home waiting for him, it's not like he's leading the girl on or anything. I learned my lessons about how to handle romance arcs thanks to Star Vs (...What a ride S3 was... What. A. Flipping. Ride), so know I have a clear vision in mind regarding her. As for poor Riku, Kairi, Star, and Marco... Yeah, they are going to have fun later. **_

_**Sentinel07 - If you liked the Union Cross mentions/references, this chapter will make you smirk hopefully. I have a plan for her in mind, with more hints this chapter regarding what might go down. **_

_**KingJGamer - As we've discussed in DM's, it's a concept I think could be fun for a super-boss. I was actually going to have Travis be in the Underworld this chapter but I think leaving the non-Square Characters in Shyibua makes more sense (and doesn't shatter the worldlines beyond repair and all that). **_

_**7 - Thank you for your kind words :). **_

_**prince of underbrush - Kratos is one of the most famous game characters of all time. So I had to honor my favorite hero/anti-hero during his big moment in this story. And you have a good point on the keyblade design, I'm sticking with what I went with. It's fun coming up with new Keyblades for Sora and running with it's form changes. And... The form changes apply to his old keyblades from KH1, KH2, and DDD too. You will see what I mean as the chapters continue ;). **_


	16. Trinity United

_**I'm back with more fun chapters :). And this one was a doozy to write, as it had interactions I think all of us wanted to see unfold. Anyway, I highly recommend you play the track "Attraction Flow (Hand in Hand)" during a key moment in the chapter. You will know when you see it ;). **_

* * *

Mickey was simply surprised. Granted, the mouse king knew his best friends were great warriors, they helped take down Ansem Seeker of Darkness. They were right by Sora's side during the entire final battle with Xehanort. And the two have fought countless battles alongside Sora so much, Mickey would have been disappointed if they merely staggered facing a basic Shadow Heartless. But seeing Goofy charge through heartless, large and small, like a semi-truck and Donald unleashing series after series of high-level magic attacks… And both not being even _remotely _tired, made Mickey blink in genuine surprise.

"Gosh, fellas… Remind me to join in on an adventure some time." Mickey joked, his thoughts out of his minor shock and throwing his Keyblade, it bouncing around the small little cave they were exploring near Thebes before he caught the weapon and made a downward slash. The two gave Mickey a warm smile, but their eyes looked _determined, _a protective instinct hidden beneath their warrior's eyes.

Herc noticed this as well, with Phil hanging back and studying the battle… Rather carnage, with intense interest. "You guys really dialed things up a notch." Phil walked up to Donald, elbowing the duck and snapping him out of his battle-stance. The duck turned around and accidentally set Phil on fire, the goat-man blinking in annoyance.

Patting Phil's head and putting out the fire, Herc looked around the mountain range and rubbed his chiseled chin. "We are coming close to my dad's statue… Maybe Sora's hanging around there." Donald and Goofy nodded, walking toward the hidden pathway Sora 'accidentally' broke when they last got here. Mickey rubbed the back of his head, surprised at how silent his friends were being. He remembered his old adventures with them being filled with Donald's angry quacks and Goofy clumsily using his shield to defend himself.

It clicked in Mickey's mind why his friends were so focused and he drooped his large round ears; they miss Sora. He remembered vividly how they reacted to Sora vanishing both when he went off to find Kairi _and _when the trio returned to the Mysterious Tower after Kairi's return. Both situations, he'd never seen Donald so much of an emotional mess, anger, and sadness ever present on his face. Goofy just tried keeping Donald from zapping both Yen Sid and Riku, each of them saying 'Sora will be found' but Donald kept shouting 'He shouldn't have been alone in the first place!' on loop.

To Mickey's credit, being around for many years helped him read the room pretty well. After Sora's Mark of Mastery, while they clearly respected Yen Sid and listened to the man, the ride back home to Disney Castle had Donald and Goofy both questioning why Sora wasn't a Keyblade Master. Goofy, in particular, acted like Sora was his _son _of all things, with Donald then arguing that his boy is a fighter. Mickey vaguely remembered Donald trying to teach his nephews how to use magic but realized the mage was talking about _Sora. _

Mickey put his hand over his heart, feeling somewhat similar feelings toward Riku. In many cases, Mickey saw himself as Riku's real master more than his Yen Sid, helping the boy learn to tame his darkness and never leaving his side for a long time. Coming to the statue of apparently Zeus himself, as Hercules called him, Mickey got out of his deep thoughts and studied the statue. It seemed larger than life, the mouse swearing he saw the statue wink at Herc for a split second. Rubbing his eyes, tired from the mixture of fighting surprisingly strong heartless and deep reflection, he turned to his friends and opened out his arms. "What's next fellas? I know the Underworld entrance is around here, but we explored that already."

Donald looked at Goofy, the two having a steeled resolve. "He's gotta be here." Donald started, feeling something in his heart tell him _this _is the right spot. Goofy nodded, grip on his shield tight like iron. "Sora! Get your lazy butt out here! Or I will zap you into next week!"

"First baby sunspot, now _real _sunspot and his band of annoyances?" Hades mumbled, coming out of a gust of darkness. Everyone readied themselves, Hades eying Mickey. "And now we have a _rodent _with keys? They just give the things to everyone apparently." Mickey grit his teeth, pointing his keyblade right at the underworld god.

"Where is Sora!" Goofy shouted, with Donald stepping right next to him. Mickey felt like giving a weak chuckle, seeing his best friends order a god around. He knew they fought him _many _times, but the image still amused him.

"You should be asking where's Zeusy, cause you PESTS ARE GOING TO NEED HIM!" Hades's shouted, exploding into a pillar of red hot fire, his form vanishing and replaced with a massive Cerberus. "Now can you _please _eat them, sweety?" Hades voice apparently was talking to his 'pet', the three heads cooing in response. "I know, key boy hurt you before. Buuuut, you can enjoy roasted duck with dog and mouse on the side…." The monster let his three tongues drip out, excited over his meal. "Go get 'em!"

Donald shouted 'Meteor' and said objects rained down from the sky, while Goofy leaped in the air, using his shield to spin like a top for various strikes. The Knight landed on the ground and threw his shield at one of the heads, with Donald casting Thunderga on the object, making a powerful force of lighting strike the object. The shield sent lighting rippling across the beast's three heads, with Herc throwing a stone block to finish the strike. Goofy caught the shield, with Donald healing both himself and the knight to relieve themselves from the shock. Mickey jumped in the air and, remembering his brief time helping Sora fight the creature, that the third head was the weakest. Using a spinning strike, Mickey unleashed a storm of strikes before coating his last hit with light magic, making the monstrous dog whine from pain.

"Get on the…" Phil was going to suggest but Donald screamed 'shut up' back at the goat man, remembering him saying something like that to Sora over and over and over…. Goofy laughed at Donald's outburst, the mage sighing at himself. "...Just hit the beast. Yesh, give advice and you get your head cut off."

"Thanks for the tip, Phil." A familiar voice uttered, landing right alongside Donald and Goofy. Mickey felt like he was seeing things, before wiping his eyes, realizing he _wasn't _imagining a grown man in a red-and-black hoodie standing alongside his best friends. "Seriously Donald, Phil does give good advice." He elbowed the duck. "Better than you quacking about ingredients every thirty minutes."

"I was trying to help you polka!" Donald spat back at Sora, jumping at the man's side and the two unleashing a spinning circle of flames. "Goofy, now!" Donald shouted, with the knight leaping in the air. Sora jumped up, grabbing Goofy's hand and hurled him right at the first head of the Cerberus. The beast slid back from the impact, with Sora standing alongside his fellow half-pints. Sora made a cough, with Donald sighing, healing the three of them. "See? I do heal you."

"Only sometimes Donald." Sora teased his toothy smile on clear display, as well as a joyful tear coming down his cheek. "Come on guys, let's finish the job and prove to Phil we're heroes." They nodded and closed their eyes, the ground beneath them glowing a radiant light. Sora lept in the air, throwing his keyblade into the ground, with it turning into a little colorful neon blue cart from the Disneyland park in Mickey's home. Donald and Goofy sitting in the back-cars, Sora threw on goggles and gripped on the steering wheel. They slid around, shooting laser blasts at the various heads before Sora slammed his fist down on the big red button in the wheel, sending a powerful blast right at the second head. Donald and Goofy leaped off the car, the later readying his shield. Sora landed right behind them, the trio's combined weight slamming into the Cerberus with the force of a falling avalanche.

Herc looked at the sight, his eyes seeing the much older Sora and his two friends… Laughing in pure joy. Donald's face was the most emotional, clearly holding back tears, but Goofy's just looked relieved, as if he could _finally _stop worrying about something. Mickey didn't know what to feel, but he simply smiled. The Cerberus was now lying half-dead on the ground, Hades popping up out of nowhere. "You three…" Hade's jabbed Sora's chest. "...Please don't bother me anymore. I have to repair the underworld stadium now, have to close up the river of souls… So much paperwork…"

"Just help your pet lick its wound, hothead." Sora teased, folding his arms smugly. Hades felt a migraine coming, so he just left before his blood pressure would make him die for the hundredth time. Sora brushed his thumb under his nose, pleased at annoying one of his most enjoyable foes. Now that the dust settled though, he saw the crying messes of his surrogate fathers, a somber smile etching his face. "Guys…" Sora was tackled into a powerful hug, Donald and Goofy refusing to let go. "I'm sorry…"

"You… You don't run off like that again, _you _hear me?" Donald shouted, with Sora closing his eyes. Years… _Decades_… Did nothing to weaken Sora's connection to Donald and Goofy. The Master of Masters always felt them within his heart, long after his connection to Kairi and Riku died the second of his many years spent in Daybreak Town. Actually feeling the warmth, the loving embrace, of the two that never left his side through thick and thin… Sora started crying himself, tightening his hold on Donald and Goofy.

"All…" Goofy started, the trio letting one another go. Goofy held up his shield.

"...for one." Donald continued, holding up his staff, his eyes still red from crying.

"And one for all!" Sora summoned his Kingdom Key, shouting proudly as his fellow half-pints jointed their weapons together. Herc folded his arms, his blue eyes pleased at the sight. He even looked up at his father's statue, it somehow forming a tear despite being made of rock. Phil wanted to cry as well but he patted his cheeks and stood tall. Mickey just studied Sora specifically, his face and smile looking like _nothing _changed since vanishing on Destiny Islands.

"You aren't like him," Mickey said quietly, with Sora's eyes drifting to the Mouse King. "I was afraid you were going to be like…" Mickey clenched his fists, letting out a sigh of self-annoyance. "Good to see you back, Sora." Sora kelt down, his Kingdom Key resting on his lap. Donald and Goofy stood beside him, the four friends giving one another relieved smiles. "Gotta say pal, you sure made a grand entrance back there."

"Would you guys believe I'm a master now?" Goofy patted Sora's back in pride, while Donald just rubbed his forehead. "What? I am one now." Sora pointed behind him, Ava fixing her robe upon jumping off the statue of Zeus. "I got a student with me right here. Say hello to your uncles dear."

"Uncle?" Mickey asked in confusion, seeing a young woman looking strikingly similar to Kairi walking up to them. If it wasn't for her green eyes, Mickey would say the woman _was _an older Kairi. "Sora, you really…" Sora made a sheepish laugh, standing up and putting an arm around Ava.

"Herc, you believe in the beautiful thing that is time travel?" The demi-god shrugged his shoulders while Phil was mumbling jumbled words together. "Well, I'm from the past, this is my student and I have a bunch of other students running around. Theeeey sorta are my adopted kids too, but details are annoying sometimes." Sora gently nudged Ava to introduce herself, but she just picked up Donald and hugged him. "Sweetie, you don't pick up the angry uncle and hug him. He might set you on fire."

"Sora told me so much about you!" She squeezed Donald, the duck quacking, begging for air. "You didn't heal him all the time, but you and his knight never left his side. I remember the adventures he told me and my siblings." Donald jumped out of Ava's arms, his face glaring daggers at Sora.

"I do heal you! If you just used potions more often, I wouldn't have to do that, _sonny_." Donald joked, with Sora wincing, making a mock-expression of hurt. Goofy just laughed at the two's antics, memories old and new playing in the knight's mind.

"Glad you are okay, Sora." Mickey started, with Sora kneeling once more to meet Mickey at eye level. "But what's going on exactly?" Another _thud _was heard, with Mickey reading his keyblade at the sight, but Sora simply held up his hand, making Elrena pause and Mickey calm down. "...Just like Marulxa, huh?"

"Yeeep. Pretty sure Luxlord is somewhere in Deep Jungle." Sora held up the card said former foe gave him, giving a toothy smile. "The guy does love his games and I said that we would play again sometime." Sora slid the card into his pocket, letting out a deep breath. "My younger self is kinda in a jam that sadly…" Sora turned around, giving Donald and Goofy a guilty look. "You guys can't help out with. Don't worry, your half-pint is a lot stronger than he looks." They gave Sora sad look but understood, seeing newfound wisdom in Sora's scarred blue eyes. Turning around toward Mickey. "You guys want me to visit my _favorite _person, don't ya?"

"Yen Sid sent us to get you." Sora got up and stretched his back. He looked at Herc, who looked somewhat lost. Donald then realized what was going on and glared at Sora.

"Donald, before you even utter 'world order', I will fix things right now." Sora coughed and put a hand on Herc's shoulder. "Your homes are part of something much bigger but it's nothing to worry about right now." Herc grinned at Sora, the later turning to Donald and having a smug expression. Donald mumbled unintelligible words to himself, while Goofy chuckled at his antics.

"You got yourself into trouble, huh fellow hero." Herc teased, holding out his hand. Sora took it and they shook hands.

"You know it champ!" They laughed and pulled each other into a hug before letting go. Sora spotted the flabergasted Phil, the former meeting his favorite goat-man at eye level. "...My life is a bit of mess but you helped me become a hero. So thanks, Phil." Sora held out his hand. "Glad to know you could speak again, you seemed sick last time we saw ya."

"Yeah yeah…" Phil shook Sora's hand and turned toward Ava, his eyes studying her. "Your kid seems familiar."

"Blame our friend Hades for that," Sora muttered. Phil caught that and frowned, knowing how the Underworld God works. "She sent the jerk packing through, as the Keyblade Hero Three just did." Donald rubbed his face at the name, with Goofy equally conflicted. Sora sent them a 'what' expression, the two simply shaking their heads. "I like the name, so it sticks. Anyway, sorry for showing up and leaving, but…"

"Heroes always help others, I know Sora." Herc smiled, folding his arms and looking at Sora up-and-down. "Always come back, maybe you could fight my pops sometime." Sora chuckled at this.

"I found my light if you're wondering." Sora started, with Herc blinking. Then, the demi-god recalled _why _he came to Olympus in the first place last time. Letting out a prideful smile, he nodded and sent Sora's friends off. The now large group walking toward the mountain tops, Sora turned toward Elrena, seeing her face frowning. "Sorry, but you got a man back home _and _the demi-god's taken. Seriously, what's with you and hitting on every man you see?"

"Not my fault I just got back my heart…" Elrena spat, walking ahead and folding her arms. Sora rolled his eyes and looked at Mickey, who was tapping his chin in deep thought.

"Kairi and Riku are going to be okay, they are in The Kingdom of Mewni right now, likely going to bump into two more of my students pretty soon." Sora started, his fellow half-pints, Mickey, and Ava listening in as well. What got Mickey's attention was Sora folding his hands behind his back, not unlike how Yen Sid used to act when addressing people. "They got another two worlds to visit _after _that, as Kairi needs to master the power of waking and strengthen her light magic; what better way to do that, then hang around her fellow Princess's of Heart?" Sora let out a somewhat fond smile. "Her heart is a _lot _stronger than mine, so she pays no price when using it."

"So that's why you didn't come back?" Mickey asked, with Sora nodding, folding his arms and looking up at the sky. Blues and whites made Sora's clustered mind calm down. "Yen Sid.."

"He should have told me." Sora started, his tone getting harsher. Donald and Goofy didn't comment on this, wondering where was going. "He should have told me _how _I awakened my waking power. He should have been a real teacher, helping me learn proper combat skills." Sora turned around, hands still behind his back but voice surprisingly controlled. "But most importantly, I should have been warned getting people out of my little hotel..." Sora pointed to his chest. "...Would weaken me. Even with my, somewhat foolish mind back then, I would have held off looking for Kairi."

"You should have taken us with you." Donald and Goofy said in unison, frowning at the scar across Sora's eyes. Sora shook his head, walking toward them and giving them a warm hug.

"If you came with me, your hearts would have been lost too. I'm glad you stayed, even if I was lonely for a while." Sora said honestly, his fellow half-pints relenting and Sora letting go. "Ava." She turned toward Sora, her face excited about what task he was giving her. "Your new role is to help Kairi learn the power of waking." He put a hand on her shoulder, his expression was loving and confident. "Take my half-pints with you, experience what I went through as a kid _without _the pain and what not." Sora turned to Donald and Goofy, giving them a cocky smile. "Be good dads to her like you were to me."

They saw Sora crack his neck and threw up his red hood. Mickey gave Sora a look, his eyes narrowing "...What are you doing?" Sora turned around and smirked.

"We are paying your master a little visit, gotta to fill him in on things." Sora snapped his fingers, creating a Corridor of Darkness. It made everyone jump, making Sora sigh. "You all have anti-darkness clothing. It's not a huge deal. Remember when we walked through one of these to find Buzz?" Sora turned to Donald and Goofy, the two nodding and letting out a collective sigh. Sora clapped his hands, getting Elrena's attention from her sulking session. "If you want to meet up with your hubby, follow us." She sighed and walked into the Corridor. Mickey looked at Sora, his face reading 'I have a lot of questions'.

Sora shot back a look saying 'Have faith in me for once' and he walked into the Corridor. Mickey waved his friends goodbye and followed Sora. Ava now alone with Donald and Goofy capped her hands and hugged the two of them. "What world should we visit first!"

"Huh…" Donald started, letting the shock of Sora using Riku-like dark magic sink into his mind. "I guess visit Deep Jungle. Yen Sid told us…"

"Nah, we should visit that Mewni place," Goofy suggested, making Donald blink. "Sora said Kairi needs to learn waking. Ava here is gonna be her teacher, hyuck, so we should get over there." Donald looked at the woman, giving her a warning 'Don't hug me like that again' and she giggled. Goofy pat Donald's back, them exchanging a look saying 'we got another half-pint'.

"Sounds great," Ava exclaimed, looking around in slight confusion. "How do we get off-world again?" Donald felt his eye twitch, with Goofy chuckling to himself. The three walked to a secluded part of the mountain range, finding another empty cave. She tilted her head, seeing Goofy pat some invisible object before it activated and turned into… "The Gummi Ship! The Highwind right?"

"...Sora told you, huh?" Donald asked, his beak forming a smile. She nodded as they all climbed aboard. "He loved flying, though crashing into every other rock at first wasn't fun." Goofy buckled in his seatbelt, as did Donald. They looked at Ava looking around confused. "Sora never taught you?"

"Daybreak Town never had ships like these." She sat down in the captain's seat, rubbing her chin. "We used our spirits, though haven't seen one since I woke up." She gripped the wheel, a smile twitching on her lips. "As Dad told us Foretellers, you live and learn…" Ava slammed a big red button. "And press the largest button!"

Donald screamed, his quack saying something like 'That's the hyperdrive' but it was too late, the trio of half-pints flying around like lunatics before a portal opened up to leave the world.

* * *

Standing near the garden area of Radiant Garden, Axel rubbed his neck, trying to stretch his muscles. _To think the kid's still talking… _He mused, remembering his best friend Roxas try to explain his 'interesting' life and what's been going on the past few years, as Sora apparently never dropped in on Leon and crew lately. "Man, I swore I saw Roxas give that glare of his twice before…" Laughing at the situation, he kicked a rock and looked up at the sky. It was slowly turning nighttime, with Axel biting his lip.

"Remembering her again?" Axel didn't turn his head around, just shrugging his shoulders and letting Isa stand next to him. The blue-haired man gave Axel a knowing smirk, with the man waving him off. "I don't know where she is either, but I'm sure she's out there somewhere."

"I know…" Axel mumbled his hands firmly in his pants pockets. He glanced at his best friend's face, his eyes narrowed and focused. _Just imagine the crap he put up with… _Isa wasn't very willing on the details, but he got out of his stubborn friend that he didn't _just _rejoin the black coat club to get info on her. Isa was a big reason Demix and Even were able to get a replica for Roxas in the first place. And upon _further _shock, it was Isa's suggestion to Xehanort to use Xion as the final darkness, orchestrating the encounter with Lea and Kairi at the Keyblade Graveyard. Granted, Axel figured that the plan wasn't _exactly _perfect; Isa was under some influence while Xehanort was around. Axel patted his friend's shoulder, giving him a thankful smile for what he tried. "So, thinking this might be a good home for our kids?"

"Kids?" Isa asked, then Axel smirked. "Ah, well, we got a lot of work regarding that. Identification, birth certificates…" The blue haired man rubbed his chin, Axel shaking his head in amusement. "To think, I thought of Xion as a puppet… Shocked she's so nice to me after everything."

"Same with Roxas," Axel added, wagging his finger. "The kid's got quite the temper. Maybe Sora's forgiving heart rubbed off on them." Isa sighed, leaning on the wall next to Axel. The two looked up at the stars, wondering which one had Sora. Axel did remember a lesson from Merlin that every star, is a world. One of the stars blinked, shining ever brightly. "Should we make a wish?" Axel suggested, his tone playful but Isa just had his eyes closed. _Why not… _Axel closed his and wished for something himself. _Likely not going to happen, but you never know. _He opened them, seeing a massive Gummi Ship come his way.

Isa pushed Axel away, the two rolling away from the ship. It looked like Sora's Gummi Ship, as Axel remembered seeing the kid and his half-pints going inside it on the way to The Keyblade Graveyard. "What where you're landing that thing Donald!" Axel shouted, helping Isa up and ready to cook roast duck tonight.

To his surprise though, only silence was from the crashed ship. Smoke came out of the cockpit, it opening up revealing a very female looking figure. "I'm not Donald, he's out cold." She coughed, using her free hand to cast a basic Aero spell. Ava hopped out of the ship, Donald in her arms and Goofy slowly waking up, climbing out of the ship. "Sorry for crashing this Goofy…"

"Oh shucks, it's fine." He waved his hand, taking out a potion from his pocket and drinking some of it down. "But Donald's gonna flip when he wakes up." The knight turned to Axel and Isa, waving hello. "What's up fellas? We are on a new adventure."

"Ugh…" Donald moaned, his eyes slowly opening and his arms waving around like a crazed lunatic. "Why did you crash my ship?! You _are _just like him and…" The duck relented, using a weak cure spell on the three of them. "Can you put me down?"

Ava giggled and let her new friend down, patting his head. The duck groaned in annoyance and he ruffled his feathers. She looked at Axel and Isa, their jaws firmly on the ground. "...You guys okay? My name is Ava if you're…"

"Buddy?" Axel looked toward Isa with a side eye. His friend dumbly nodded, eyes locked on Ava. "We didn't die, right?" Isa shook his head. "Good." Axel fell on his back and passed out cold, body shocked at what he _just _witnessed. Isa helped him up, using his free hand to pinch his own cheek.

"You… You can't be her… Can you?" Isa asked with hope in his voice. Ava tilted her head in confusion, her face having a warm smile. One that Axel and Isa grew to fondly care for. "You… You _are_ her. We finally know your name."

"...I know you two?" Ava asked in genuine confusion, only vaguely recalling boys with red and blue hair, maybe they were other Dandelions? Or one of the many Keyblade Wielders her fellow Foretellers instructed? She couldn't give a clear answer but Ava _knew _she was important to these two men just from their reaction right now. "How about we find a place to sit down." Isa nodded and had a better hold on Axel. Ava rushed to his side and put her arm around the man, his passed-out face growing a warm smile.

Two figures were around the block though, with Roxas and Xion enjoying the stars and cool weather. "Man, that was one long story time…" Roxas said with hands behind his head, with Xion giggling at how similar to Sora he looked right now. The two turned around, seeing their friends, Axel being helped up by a woman in red hair. "Axel!" The two rushed toward their friend, seeing Ava study them.

"Ven?" Ava asked, with Roxas blinking at the name. Xion just focused on Axel being out cold, with Isa having a very conflicted expression on his face. Donald and Goofy just hung back, seeing the situation unfolding and sighing in unison, thanking Sora for more strangeness to return to their lives once more.

* * *

Coming out of the Corridor, Mickey and Master Sora saw the star-lit skies of Mysterious Tower, the former giving a warm smile at the sight. _Well… Give the old man SOME credit, he has a good base of operations here. Love seeing the worlds shining so bright. _Master Sora stood in place, arms folded and smiling at just how _many _stars were shining in the sky. "You know Mic… Those stars?" Mickey turned around, looking at the sky like Sora. "Those stars were connected together at one point. Being alive during that was pretty nice."

"Sora…" Mickey said emphatically, wondering himself how living during the age of Fairy Tales was. His Master told him many stories about the stars, as Mickey himself shared said stories with to Minnie back home. Noticing Sora walking once more, the mouse king sighed and followed him. The two gently pushed open the great door, walking the ever-endless stairs.

Sora's hands were firmly in his pockets, Mickey seeing his arm muscles tense up and shake somewhat. The mouse didn't see Sora's scowl, his blue eyes flickered with anger and frustration, his pace getting gradually faster as they walked up the endless stairs. They found the door to Yen Sid's study after tension-filled minutes of walking, with Mickey about to touch the door to break said tension but Sora coughed. "Mickey…" Sora met his friend at eye level, Mickey surprised with how serious Sora looked. "Your master may have been a good teacher to you, and I deeply respect that. But he made some major mistakes I _am not _happy with." Taking a deep breath, Sora patted Mickey's shoulders and gave a toothy smile. "Just don't get too upset at me for venting a bit, okay?"

"Sure thing pal," Mickey said warmly, with Sora letting him go and opening the door. Yen Sid looked at Sora knowingly, the Keyblade Master, the _original _master meeting Yen Sid once more.

"Hello, Sora." Yen Sid introduced. Sora shook his head and summoned his most powerful keyblade, the ultima weapon, Sora holding the weapon like a king addressing his knights. Its whites and reds shined proudly in the room, making Yen Sid have a blank, unreadable expression.

"No, it's _Master _Sora," Sora said coolly, his toothy smile present on his face. "Nice to see you again, fellow master." Mickey gulped, reading the tension in the room and standing between the two of them. "You wanted to talk to me about something?"

Yen Sid nodded, his face twitching into a frown and summoning a book. A book Sora frowned at. One book he fondly regrets writing. "Yes, we got much to discuss."

* * *

_**Before I get to review responses, ya'll are impressive. I love how in-depth these latest reviews are specifically, so thank you for making this such a fun experience :). Anyway, will answer the best I can without giving away what might happen next. **_

_**prince of underbrush - Glad you loved the chapter! And I'm pretty sure you will really like this latest one as well.**_

_**Legionary Prime - Yozora is an interesting beast, as you can clearly tell Prince Noctis is the inspiration for him (and his homeworld; Namora being salty boi over FF Vs XIII is funny in a way) but you gotta remember Noctis we have in FFXV and spin-offs isn't exactly 1-to-1 with what his creator intended. So for my take on the character, he's a bit of a stoic fella that has an issue trusting others. But when it comes to his friends, he's fiercely protective and opens up a lot more. Looking forward to your story and can't wait to see what you come up with!**_

_**7 - And hijinks will ensure ofc**_

_**RedHood001 - I updated the last chapter with your correction and will be sure to address their hair colors for later in the story, so thank you for that tidbit :). And regarding the time-travel... Only Master of Masters time traveled. Ava and the other Foretellers aren't time travelers at all, as you can clearly see Luxu/Xigbar didn't time travel (he came back not unlike the other Organization members). But your theory is very interesting regarding the Foretellers being the next gen-guardians of light. **_

_**redlox2 - It's no problem, I was surprised myself how fast I came up with content (this chapter was largely finished yesterday minus two scenes). But with each of your questions, I felt I should answer some of them. Sora's memories as the MoM lasts from his first appearance in Birth By Sleep alllll the way through the conclusion of his adventure in Shibuya. Not going to say much else than that, you will see what I mean ;). And regarding Sora hand-picking his Foretellers and finding 'the spirit' of his friends within them... It's a tragic but logical suggestion. I can't WAIT to write the dialog between Yen Sid and Master Sora, but we gotta shift back to Kairi and friends back on Mewni. Tricky thing balancing so many groups at once... It is ironic that Sora fumbled his way through things but wound up being the one kick-starting time-honored keyblade traditions. **_

_**Lil' Chaos - Ava is a good deal older than Kairi (her early 20's vs Kairi's age of 16-17), so it's not THAT strange... But then again, it's not that 'strange' considering Master Sora is in his mid-late 20's. Either way though, I really liked diving into Master Sora's character here and really can't wait for the newest member of the half-pints to go on her own little adventure. Sora having a lot of father figures is something to take note of, as a new story called 'Surrogates by Faulty Paragon' and my own love of the trio's dynamic in KH3 was something I really wanted to channel here. **_**_Elrena is a blast to write and seeing her bounce off of Laralum is going to be a blast. _**

_**Sentinel07 - Thank you for the kind words :). I have a lot planned for Ava, so keep an eye out for that. **_

_**H.R.C. Stanley - Thank you for the kind words :). **_

_**blackpackager - Good ideas. You just gotta see how I handle things. **_


	17. Tides of Change

_**A shorter chapter than the last one, but filled with answers and questions alike, I assure you ;). **_

* * *

The hot humidity of the jungle is something fierce. Would make most souls rush into the trees, praying for safety from the wild, dangerous beasts roaming the sea of tall green. But a head of short blond hair gracefully jumped, bobbed and weaved through the rampage of a panther, it's black fur on edge as it's yellow eyes bored into a young man. He made a knowing smirk, flicking his wrist and summoning a white key, it's teeth mirroring two joker cards. Throwing the weapon, not unlike his former foe, the panther hissed in pain and scurried off. "I love my games but I would rather be near the town."

The man fixed his black suit jacket, all torn up upon his rude awakening mere hours ago. Finding a small pond of water, he knelt down, uncaring of his dress pants were dirty after the amount of tearing the hemmings had. Throwing some water on his face, the man looked at his reflecting, seeing blue eyes instead of his former yellow ones. His short mustache was present, though his stubble beard was longer than he would have liked. _I need to find someplace to rest soon. _He looked up, using his white-gloved hand to get a better vision of the bearly visible sun. _The sun setting this early? This is troublesome… _

Luxord… _No. _He shook his head, not preferring that name anymore. Rudol used his free hand to move some bushes aside, seeing a small town in the jungle. "Finally…" Rudol sighed, pushing past the remaining trees and finding the town. He heard distinctly English-sounding dialect, the buildings somewhat shoddily built. _It's like apes built them… _He thought to himself, a smirk growing on his face. As he was walking, his keyblade was firmly held in his left hand, blue eyes drifting toward the weapon occasionally.

If he was being honest with himself, he never expected the game that was his life to get so interesting. Challenging his great foe that was Sora a number of times as an Organization member was his fondest memories being a villain. _The lad is quite the smart one. Surprised no one noticed. _He felt similarly, though not nearly as strongly, about Roxas. Seeing a once fellow peer get treated like a mere child angered him, more so with how much potential he offered… The less said about… He held a gloved hand to his forehead, the girls name always slipping his tongue. _Doesn't matter, now it's time to atone. _Rudol said firmly, tightening the trip on his keyblade, which he dubbed 'The Lucky Deck'. To his shock, using the fabled weapon was like breathing the very air around him.

"Who are you?" Rudol snapped out of his thoughts, seeing… A man in dreadlocks studying him. He wore an outfit unlike him, though it clearly didn't fit perfectly. _And the decor… _Rudol would have mocked the man for his horrible display, but he could tell from his green eyes he was an earnest soul. _...He is trying. _Rudol accepted, holding out his hand. "You seem new… And I remember that weapon... "

"You know about the Keyblade chap?" Rudol asked with genuine surprise, with the man nodding. "Well, I could inform you about it over a cup of tea. Or would you prefer games?" He took out a deck of cards, making his weapon vanish and playfully shuffling them. _It's a habit I suppose. _Rudol smirked, the man before him narrowing his eyes with interest.

"Jane did encourage me to be more friendly…" The man tapped his chin before nodding. "I am Tarzan. King of Apes and… I think Ambassador of the Jungle." Tarzan rubbed his chin before nodding as if wondering he said the right thing. "I'm trying to understand man's culture, so might be wrong."

Rudol smiled, shaking Tarzan's hand and the two walking toward some trees. "Tell me about this place if you can Tarzan, unsure where I am currently," Tarzan smirked, his attempted civilized face growing wilder, showing his true nature. _And I'm looking at a wild version of Sora. This is going to be fun._

* * *

Snow was gusting in the air, as young man and woman trudged through the storm around them. They just woke up not long ago, the sensation of coldness pushing them toward the kingdom in the distance. "W-We almost there Ephemer?" Asked a girl with long black hair, shivering and muttering how her black skirt and leather jacket clearly wasn't enough to protect from this frozen storm.

The boy next to her gave a toothy smile, fixing his red scarf and dashing ahead. "Come on Skuld! You can't take a little snow?" Skuld felt her red eyes twitching, wanting to smack her best friend with her freshly-summoned keyblade. They just woke up, having no clue _how _they even died in the first place, in a frozen wonderland of all things… And he's _happy_ like a new adventure is on the horizon?

She couldn't help but sigh at her friend, her lips twitching into a smile, despite the bitter cold acing her muscles. "Okay snow child, let's find warmth soon. Don't want to use _all _my magic to just thaw us out."

"That's the spirit!" He replied, giving his friend a thumbs up using his black-gloved hands. His black boots trudging through the snow, Ephemer and Skuld were closer to finding shelter in Arendelle. Part of him was hoping to meet that odd brown haired fellow, wondering how much of a hero was. And to thank him for helping him and his best friend back to the realm of light.

* * *

Strelitzia was pacing outside 7th Heaven, playing with the black ribbons on her arm. _Come on… _Today was the day… The beginning of a grand adventure for Sora and his friends. _One day closer till we come home… _She frowned, rubbing her arm. She couldn't help but feel antsy today. Maybe if she could just talk to her brother or his girlfriend, they could suggest something…

"You okay girly?" Strelitzia turned around, seeing a young man with a distinct black hat, tilting down to cover his eyes. "Seem upset bout something." She couldn't place it, but his voice… It felt familiar… "I mean, being stuck here isn't all that bad." He tilted his hat up, revealing a set of grey eyes. Ones that froze Strelitzia in place. "We all get second chances here, don't we fellow Union leader."

"N-No…" She slowly backed away, her Starlight Keyblade weakly gripped in her hand. "Brian? How are you here!" He got off the wall he leaned on, fixing his black coat and slowly walked toward Strelitzia. Memories of being alone in a building flashed in her mind, crying to her spirit… She screamed loud, so loudly it echoed around the street.

"What's going on?!" Sora's voice replied to her call, nearly flying out the door and entering a defensive position in front of her. He studied the person before him, Brain blinking in surprise. "Who are you?" Sora asked his tone a mixture of someone on guard and one of genuine curiosity.

"...Well, I'll be… Venny boy, great to see you again." Brain walked over to Sora, trying to throw an arm around his shoulder but Strez shoved Brain back, looking distressed. "Come on Strez, you seriously think I ended you back there?" He fixed his coat and folded his arms, his expression clearly offended.

"You followed me!" She shouted, pointing her keyblade at him accusingly. He remained still, face unreadable. "I...I never told anyone I visited the tower. Only _he _and my spirit knew." She narrowed her blue eyes, a fire sparked in her heart. "Stay away from me and _my _Sora, or I will end you myself."

Brian looked between the two of them, his face slowly forming a weak grin, fixing his hat. "Well, I help create some things for the new world, and this is the thanks I get." Sora's eyes looked between Strez and Brain, clearly confused at what was going on. He just gave Sora a weak smile before turning around. "In that case, take care of yourselves you two." Brain left just like that, Strelitzia's body shaking, face livid beyond all belief.

"What was that about?" Sora asked bluntly, putting a hand on Strelitzia shoulder, but she recoiled at his touch, running back into the building. The door was slammed shut, with Sora blinking. "...Is he the reason she's here?" Sora pondered aloud, his hand touching the door. "And I'm _her _Sora? Kairi was never that defensive…" Sora mulled, leaning on the door and looking at the clearly interested neighbors. "Uh… Couple's dispute?" Sora jokes, his face giving a weak grin. Everyone shrugged their shoulders and resumed whatever they were doing, Sora feeling Vanitias smile proudly in the back of his head.

Getting off the door, Sora threw up his red hood and took out a little book. It was something Yozora of all people got him, encouraging him to write down his adventures. Sora would have debated but he had no clue if he would even _leave _this place. _If someone finds me with my light gone… I would want them to read my adventures. _Sora decided the other day, opening to a blank page and jotting down something…

* * *

Yen Sid flipped through the book, his eyes locked on Master Sora and Mickey, the pages flipping through endlessly. He slammed the book shut, eyes locked on Sora's. "Tell me, Master Sora. Explain why this exists."

"Well, since you asked _so _nicely…" Sora snapped his fingers, creating two ice chairs for himself and Mickey. The mouse blinked, with Sora giving him a warm smile. "Was inspired by an ice queen, what can I say Mic?" The mouse nodded, hoping his chair, with Sora taking his time finding a spot to sit. Yen Sid coughed after a few moments, with Sora holding up a finger. Crossing his legs together, he folded his arms and nodded. "Okay, story time."

"This isn't…" Yen Sid was going to start with Sora shooting a dark frown at him. "Very well, continue."

"A long time ago, rather, pretty recently… A young wide-eyed man named Sora defeated Xehanort alongside his guardians the powerful mage Donald Duck and the brave knight Goofy Goof. Upon the man's defeat, the young man wanted to find his loved one, who didn't get the training she needed for the final battle." Sora's glare was scathing upon saying this, Yen Sid's eyes narrowing in response. "A deep desire to save her not unlike his own brother and sisters, who were trapped in his heart..." Sora got up and started pacing, making his seat vanish. He summoned his kingdom key, holding it behind his head casually. "He was warned, encouraged to regroup and make a plan of action at a later point." Sora paused talking, his head turning toward Yen Sid. "But that piece of advice was given about Master Aqua, wasn't it?" Sora's tone went dark, almost leaking into a tone that Vanitias spoke in. Getting no response from the guilty looking Mickey and stoic Yen Sid, Sora continued. "So, following his heart… Or, sorry. What was _left _of it." Sora slammed the keyblade into the ground, making a faint ripple of light.

"You knew this already, Sora." Yen Sid commented but Sora made a bitter laugh. "Your heart was a home for many. It would have needed time to heal before you used waking again. Let alone the surprise…"

"Don't act as if you cared." Sora interrupted. Yen Sid paused. "If you really cared, where was my combat training? Or actually dubbing me a Master when I _earned that title_!" Sora shouted, Yen Sid remaining silent. "Ventus told me, the power of waking was inside me the entire time. You just wanted me to do clean-up with the few heartless, nobodies and unversed Organization XIII sent to the specific worlds they targeted." Sora challenged Yen Sid to argue with him, but the master was surprised to see Yen Sid nod in agreement.

"Yes, you needed to learn waking. And I knew you had the power within you." Yen Sid paused, giving a weak smile. "But your heart needed to be tested, strengthened. Isn't that what you intend for Young Kairi, is it not?" Sora folded his arms. _Can't argue with that, at least I'm pushing her in a more direct path. _Sora kept his comment to himself. "Sora, you did, as you put it, perform clean up, but it was for a good cause. You protected new friends."

"...So after I left to find Kairi." Sora didn't acknowledge Yen Sid's comment, continuing with his story instead. "I was in the final world once more, finding Kairi's soul all alone. I heard her cries, her guilt at not being strong enough." Sora paused, clenching his fist. "When I came up to her star, she didn't even respond, thinking it was just an illusion." Sora stopped walking, his eyes looking toward the stars outside Yen Sid's tower. "I got her back... just like I promised."

"Finding Kairi and restoring her heart…" Sora turned to Mickey, giving a somber frown.

"The power of waking…" Sora turned back toward the stars. "Is a grave one. And right when I came back, I vanished." Sora closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "I woke up in a strange city. I was lost, confused. But I encountered people that gave me a direction." He took out a card. "This puppy helped a lot. During my travels, I wrote down everything." Sora took out a little book, one that looked rustic and torn up. "No little cricket meant I had to jot down my thoughts like a normal person." He threw Yen Sid the little book. "That's my dream journal, made copies." Sora snapped his fingers and made a new one appear. "Don't mind the crude drawings of you, _master_. I had bad days sometimes."

Yen Sid looked through the book, rubbing his long grey beard with interest. "You based the Book of Prophecies on this, didn't you?" Sora nodded. "Then, if your younger form were to return…"

"History would forever change," Sora said casually, dropping the bombshell. "Hence why you and others have copies of the book now, so I can come back _while _history can remain largely unchanged." Sora leaned on the desk, face inches from Yen Sid. "How you have a copy of The Book of Prophecies, however, is the question I'm _dying _to get the answer to." Yen Sid remained silent, Sora backing off and folding his hands behind his back.

"...How did you make the book." Yen Sid asked, his tone demanding. Sora bit his lip, sighing at himself.

"I woke up… in a little town known as Daybreak Town. Where I stumbled upon a thirteen-year-old girl. She looked a lot like Kairi and had a lot of light in her heart. Not wanting her to get hurt, I bequeathed her the keyblade and made her my student…" Sora made a warm smile, the memory fondly playing in his mind. "...And my daughter." Sora turned around, holding his hands wide. "Annnd, I found more kids like her. A tough worker that had frustration problems. A smart fellow that loved books. His sister was just as smart and had the qualities of a leader. A boy strikingly similar to one of my brothers in attitude. Annnd, a boy with nothing but his wits and sly tongue." Sora folded his arms. "I felt and _still _believe they have potential. But, I had knowledge of the future, and as a wise friend once told me… Knowledge is power."

Sora took the book off of Yen Sid's table, flipping through it. "So that's how the future was written. Everything was made by _you_." He accused, with Sora nodding. Mickey noticed Sora's face didn't have a smirk, smile or frown. He just looked tired.

"I created the keychains, based on what I collected over the years." Sora flicked his wrist, summoning the Kingdom Key. "I based the design of the first keyblade off this, leading Starlight to be the first official keyblade in existence. The light of the past… It really was that." Sora started pacing. "I eventually made spirits, inspired by the dream eaters. I taught everyone magic, things I learned on my adventure." Sora flipped through the pages, colorful images of worlds he visited on full display. "And my worldly adventures were documented, so many of them actually united." Sora closed the book letting out a deep breath.

"This breaks the rules of time travel." Yen Sid said gravely, with Master Sora just glaring him, eyes narrowed like daggers ready to kill. "But you knew this, didn't you?"

"Sora…" Mickey started, Master Sora shaking. "What did you do?" The almost betrayed look from Mickey and the angry glare, one filled with disappointment made by Yen Sid, made Sora's inner frustrations burst like a dam.

"You _think _I wanted a keyblade war?" Sora started, throwing his hand in the air. "Some psychopath not comprehending that light and darkness need to coexist but instead being _inspired _by that horrible event? Or how one of Ava's students set into motion all kinds of messes I couldn't fix because my heart wasn't strong enough anymore?!" Sora slammed the book shut and threw it at Yen Sid, the wizard catching it. "No, I never intended for _any _of that. I wanted the future to be bright. I wanted future keyblade wielders to not suffer as I did. Not to be possessed like Riku was. To not _die and get kidnapped _often like Kairi. And to not be lost into darkness for years like Aqua and Terra were!" Sora's voice was loud and so filled with emotion, even Yen Sid's stoic face looked somber. "Don't you two _dare _accuse me of being the darkness, when Mr. Dark himself used time travel to make another Keyblade War. A war I helped _end_."

Composing himself, Sora took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, finding it's star patterns soothing for some reason. "So this book was meant to prevent disasters, instead of creating them. Is that correct?" Sora didn't reply, his eyes closed and arms folded.

"I was just a little kid when I got the keyblade." Sora made a bitter laugh, letting the weapon appear in his right hand. "Dumb kid with a heart of gold, wanting to see the world. Get off that little island. The keyblade never even choose me, just lingered around thanks to Riku being too caught up in darkness and Ven's heart beating in my chest." Blue eyes glared at the weapon, jabbing it in the ground and walking toward the door. "It's a curse, not a blessing. It hurts wielders, not helps them." Sora held out his hand, the weapon returning to him. "But the people it chooses must accept the price. The world needs heroes, big and small." Sora took a deep breath and stood tall. "What better person to write the future, then the one that saved past?"

"You really did grow…" Yen Sid said proudly, with Sora scoffing at him, taking it as an insult. The wizard got up and flicked his hand in the air, making a magical portal open up. "Now, you declare me a bad teacher, correct?" Sora nodded in response, his grip on the Kingdom Key tightening. "I will give you a lesson, your first real lesson Sora."

"You want me to crush you at your own game, huh old man?" Sora smirked, seemingly amused at the events currently unfolding. "Fine, let's do this." Yen Sid nodded and walked through the portal. Sora's smirk vanished and was replaced with a tired frown. "Mic, wish me luck pal."

"...Be careful, Sora." Mickey said worriedly, with the Master giving his friend a friendly smile, taking a deep breath and going into the portal. Mickey watched it vanish and his eyes went downcast, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

* * *

Away from the incoming clash between Master Sora and Master Yen Sid, a young man with pink hair was swinging his keyblade effortlessly, taking out 'phantom' heartless Yen Sid conjured for him. _These are surprisingly strong… _Laurium rolled away from a claw strike, flicking his keyblade to send a blast of fire at the heartless. It vanished, even leaving a floating heart behind. "Gotta love how authentic it is, huh sweetie?"

Laurium didn't turn around, a smile form on his lips and readied his keyblade. "I figured you would show up soon or a later Elrena." He pointed his keyblade at her. "Sparring session, for old time's sake?"

"You kidding?" She flicked her hand, summoning her lighting-themed Starlight. "I've been itching to fight my hubby since I woke up." Laurium rolled his eyes and entered battle position. "Lightning Surge!" She charged into him, a barrier of lighting around her body. Laurium blocked the attack, rolling away and dashing toward her right.

Making a back-handed strike, flower-particles escaped his weapon, clashing with Elrena's lighting. They smirked at one another, sliding back and ready to charge once more. Elrena's strikes were more chaotic, wide swings and lighting charging all her attacks. Laurium, however, used more reserved strikes, not quite fully adjusting to fighting with his keyblade. _Miss the scythe. _Landing a three-hit combo on Elrena, he pondered asking his new master for clothing, not unlike Sora's, theorizing that's part of why the boy could transform his weapon.

"You are too serious all the time." Erena pouted, jabbing her weapon into the ground and collecting herself. "Come on, we _just _woke up. Can you be a _wee _bit easier on me?" Laurium mouthed 'nope' and held out his hand, making Erena sigh. She took it and got up, their faces warmly looking at one another. "Glad we are somebodies again…"

He hugged her and they embraced, for what felt like ages, when it really was just a few moments. "If only she was part of our family again…" Laurium commented, with Erena holding him tighter.

"Actually…" She let go of Laurium. "Our friend knows where she is." Laurium's eyes went wide, wondering who… Then he let out a weak laugh. "Master Sora meet your sis. And I think…"

"No." Laurium shook his head. "Wouldn't let him touch my sister." Elrena sighed, remembering how protective he was of Strelitzia. That poor kid trying to talk to her one time, with Laurium pinning him place with just a glare… Shaking her head, she folded her arms and saw Laurium rub his chin, not unlike his 'planning' posture during the Organization days. "Is our friend occupied right now?"

"Yeah, he's going to talk with your new master." Elrena leaned on Laruium's shoulder "And he's not to happy with the old man." She added. Laurium raised an eyebrow at this but decided not to ponder too much on it. _Time travel is something no one should meddle with. I know first-hand thanks to my good friend Xehanort. _

"Well, since we got nothing better to do…" He leaned in close to her, with Elrena ready to cup his face within her hands… "Let's play some cards." She blinked, her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "...What?"

"We're married for a year and I'm your secret girlfriend during the Organization days, and you still can't read a room." She sighed, sitting on the ground and crossing her legs together. Laurium just snickered to himself, shuffling the deck in his hands.

"You know me and my cards, love using them." Laurium jokes, with Elrena rubbing her forehead at how tasteless that joke was.

* * *

Riku was standing outside Butterfly Castle, his eyes drawn to the odd moon in the sky. Just hours ago he and Kairi landed in this strange kingdom, letting its princess and her best friend recap them on the situation they were currently in. Now nighttime, Riku still wondered what was going on here... Eyes drifting to the moon, tt was a blood red, it's shine specifically hitting a room in the higher level of the castle. He recalled that's the room his new friends were sleeping in…

"You okay man?" Riku raised an eyebrow, seeing Marco stretching his back. _I guess it's the princess's room. _He rubbed his chin, but his eyes drifted to Marco's his face having an unreadable expression upon glancing at the moon. "Ah, you see it too. Odd, only Star and I tend to notice the Blood Moon."

"That is the magical thing uniting you two, right?" Marco nodded, with Riku recalling the… Very _interesting _story the boy told him. Magical adventures, lawyer lizards sounding errly like Xehanort, love problems he could relate too and so on. _This kid reminds me a lot of myself. _Riku pondered, his eyes turning toward Marco. "You told me it's a warning."

"Sometimes it is." Marco started, hands resting in his red hoodie. "It also reminds me how close I am with Star." Marco took his right hand out of his pocket, it clenching his heart. "She is my light, the one thing that helps me get past my 'Marco' moments as Star calls them." Riku smirked, patting Marco's shoulder. "So you and Kairi are here to find a friend?"

"Sorta." Riku answers, folding his arms. "We… Kinda found him, but not really." Marco rubs his chin before shrugging his shoulders. "You are quick on the uptake."

"I've seen more than most guys my age, Riku." Marco smirked, folding his arms and looking up at the sky once more. "Can you feel your friend though? My mom and dad aren't on Mewni but I feel them still."

"Sora is out there, and Kairi is going to drag him home." Riku said in amusement, with Marco shaking his head. Marco put a hand on Riku's shoulder, giving him a somewhat worried look. "Oh, don't worry. The heartless problem…"

"Like I said before, I think that's not our problem." Marco suggested, his tone going hush, looking around nervously. "...Did you and Kairi spot any witches? Or large dog men?"

"Uh… No, why?" Riku asked, this question not being mentioned at all hours earlier. _Witch and Dog Man… _His eyes went wide, then narrowed on a dime. "Where did you see them."

"I saw the witch talking to Star about something a few weeks ago and her spells have been getting…" Marco rubbed his arm, sighing at himself. "I trust her, so won't say she's being influenced or anything. But I'm worried and not sure what to do."

"Trust me Marco, that lady is bad news. And I'm willing to bet she's the reason Eclipsa knows how to control the heartless." Riku added, clenching his fists. _Not letting that hag harm anyone ever again. _"I'm going to tell Kairi about this, but tomorrow… You take us on where you last saw her, okay?"

"Sure thing." Marco replied, yawning. "Man… It's been a long day. Ready to get some sleep?" Riku shook his head, flicking his wrist and summoning Braveheart. "You really want to stand guard?"

"That witch can't be trusted. Don't worry about me, you get rest Marco." Riku said with a weak smile, Marco nodding and heading into the castle. Once the boy left, Riku hissed in frustration. _Why didn't you tell us she was here Sora?! _Riku was honestly confused, but he trusted his best friend, assuming that the master knows what he's doing.

* * *

_So I've been exploring this strange city since I saved you. _

Sora jotted down, rubbing his eyes at how much he's written in his little book. Sitting in the park, the very one he fought Kratos, Sora smirked before turning back to his book.

_I encountered a lot of new friends. I've meet some interesting characters on my past adventures but you would laugh at some of the faces. A little gecko that has one-liners, a god of war that nearly killed me, and even three old friends from another adventure… _

Sora sighed, eyes looking at the sunset coating the city. He frowned, remembering how the morning went.

_We were going to venture toward the first 'world' but something happened. One of my friends, one I think you would really like, just locked herself in a room. No matter what me or my other friend did, it wouldn't budge. Even Joker's lock picking didn't work. _

Sora smirked writing that.

_I guess, she just needed time to calm down. I look at her and keep seeing you. _

Sora frowned, his heart hurting at the odd conflicting feelings it was giving him.

_I try to feel a connection to you… But it's hard. I faintly see you exploring worlds, fighting with our friends, and just being the hero I knew you could be. I wish I was by your side. I wish… _

Sora wanted to close the book but couldn't, his mind refusing to shut up.

_I wish we went into the brightest light together. Not be apart again. _

Sora let out a guilty sigh, standing up.

_But we both have roles. We are heroes for a reason after all, right? _

Sora was going to close the book but shook his head, wanting to write one more thing down.

_May my heart..._

* * *

"...Be my guiding key." Master Sora uttered, closing his dream journal and summoning his kingdom key. Facing Yen Sid, Sora just smirked. "Let's dance you old geezer!"

* * *

_**7 - Thank you for the kind words.**_

_**redlox2 - Good job with your theory work. Ava is a blast to write and I really enjoyed writing this Yen Sid V. Master Sora talk. It was a blast and I can't wait to dive into what I have planned next. And I'm pretty caught up with the latest KH news, glad we are getting Critical Mode and a Final Mix Expansion down the line. Oh, and regarding worlds, I pick the ones that fit narratively. So things you've seen in the one-shots I wrote prior to this story (Monster's Inc, Toy Story) might not pop up cause I just don't know how to fit them in organically. If I use a world, I USE every aspect of the world. **_

_**blackpackager - I think this chapter should answer some of your questions, alongside many questions others have been having about the Master of Masters. **_

_**Sentinel07 - It's a can of worms filled with potential drama and solid character interactions to run with. So I'm excited :). **_

_**ThePsychoPath96 - Glad you loved the chapter and the Master v Master dynamic is fun to play around with. **_

_**prince of underbrush - You are going to love this chapter a lot. I just know it ;). And I honestly didn't mean to 'steal' your Gummi Ship idea. It just came to me and I ran with it. Great minds and all that, huh?**_

_**Lil' Chaos - Pete and M**_**_aleficent are actually interesting characters... And you find out where they've been doing in this chapter. I actually wrote a confrontation between Master Sora and Dragon Maleficent a while back, intending on that being shown later via flashback, but not sure about that anymore. What I do plan with them, is what she does best; mess with emotionally weak teenagers and push them into doing stupid things :P. Regarding your other questions, they should be addressed in this chapter and if not, will clearly be covered sooner than later. I loved writing the reunion between Sora and his Half-Pints, so glad you and others loved that as much as I did. _**

**_Ava and the other Foretellers are old in my story than in Back Cover (likely a good two-three year time jump). It's mainly for logical reasons, the former's body being around for a long time and the later due to their missions. _**

_**crestoflight3 - I love writing them in honestly, as Sora as an adult would give Donald snark about some things :**__**').**_

__**_TaitanoRules555 - I have no problem making this a clear-cut answer man, so don't ever feel afraid to ask questions. I answered this to you in DM's but for everyone else; the Master of Masters isn't a bad guy like Xehanort. He's someone with clear regrets about what happened with the things he accomplished, while also wanting to help others not unlike his younger counterpart. Sora is Sora. If you thought I was going to call a character that name and make him the big bad, then you are mistaken. This chapter specifically does a lot to clear up, I hope at least, his motivations and some of his more complex feelings. _**


	18. Facing Darkness, Embracing Light

_**This chapter was something I honestly didn't expect to turn out the way it did. It was going to cover more, but I stumbled across an idea while out today and I HAD to play around with it. I highly recommend playing the track '**_**_Oscurità di Xehanort' for the first scene and the two tracks 'Master, Tell Me The Truth' & 'L'Apprenti Sorcier' during the 'big' fight. Review responses are below :)._**

* * *

Sora was on the cold dirt of the Keyblade Graveyard, a literal cloud of darkness coating the air. So much so, his hitched breathing was having a hard time _not _taking in the accursed darkness through his body. He wanted to get up, fight once more, give the new Organization hell for ending all his friends, without an ounce of mercy. His emotionally drained blue eyes were locked on Riku, valiantly blocking the massive storm of a dark tower, the creatures nearly engulfing his best friend. Sora couldn't see Riku's face but _knew _he was barely holding on. "Sora… You can win. _We _can win." Riku jabbed his Braveheart forward, the dark swarm being slightly pushed back. "Follow your heart, like you always have." Riku couldn't take this amount of darkness any longer, letting the dark swarm take him as well.

Life flashing before his eyes, Sora was going to take the attack, hopefully joining the afterlife alongside his fallen friends and loved ones. Sora was going to accept defeat… But it never came, with Sora's right hand moving on its own accord.

_You are going to let that jerk win? _Said a very familiar voice, one Sora recognized was Roxas. Sora was on one knee, blocking the attack with more force. _You are going to help me come back, Sora. _Sora closed his eyes, this amount of darkness being so overwhelming. _Your light isn't gone. You just think it is. _Sora grit his teeth, opening his eyes and mirrored Riku's posture. Holding the Kingdom Key like a reaper, Sora jabbed his fabled weapon into the demon tower, powerful light coating his entire body. "You're right Roxas, what am I doing?" Sora said softly, making a bitter chuckle to himself. Twisting his hand, he mirrored the half-way motion of unlocking a door. "Xehanort!" Sora screamed at the top of his lungs, hoping the evil master heard his voice, including his other lackeys. "I'm not going to lose!" Sora twisted his hand once more, unlocking the metaphorical door and sending a powerful beam of light from the Kingdom Key.

Not unlike his many actions of sealing and locking up keyholes, Sora let the familiar sensation help shield him from the darkness surrounding him. The light kept going and going, evaporating every single Shadow Bug heartless coming it's way. The beam into the base of the Demon Tower, making it explode into a powerful blast of light and darkness. Sora stabbed his keyblade into the ground, gritting his teeth as the harsh winds tried pushing him back. His eyes could barely see various dark figures flying in the distance as well. The only figure standing tall was Xehanort, his yellow eyes looking at Sora in complete shock, not expecting the boy to overcome this challenge at all.

The dust settled, Sora was left standing alone, his body tired and beat. Crushing an Elixir that Donald insisted he keeps on standby, he let it's healing properties sooth his exhausted form. "...How are you not a master yet?" Xehanort asked, his tone completely earnest and genuinely curious.

Sora flicked his wrist, summoning his kingdom key once more. "I don't care!" He shouted, charging headfirst into battle. Right as he was going to strike, Ansem Seeker of Darkness and Xemnas blocked the attack, both having stern looks in their yellow eyes. "Let me through!" Sora slides backward, cracking his neck and closed his eyes. A powerful fire appeared beneath him, the keyblade wielder riding on a massive flaming form of Simba. "Firga Roar!" Sora screamed, both himself and the fire lion making a powerful fire wave. Ansem was flung back, while Xemnas weakly blocked the attack, the fire nearly burning his black cloak. Sora leaped in the air, the fire lion charging right toward Xehanort. The other darknesses were in Sora's way, using their weapons to defend their master.

But Sora leaped off Simba, the lion continues to charge ahead. Sora dived into the very ground itself, his body becoming watery, confusing his foes before he and Ariel sprung out of the ground. Icey water splashed all over, freezing Xigbar and Siax in place, with Sora being flung into the air by Ariel's watery form. Sora let a surge of pixels appear behind him, with Ralph charging right alongside Sora. Various bricks were thrown right at a short hooded figure, her girlish scream would have made Sora paused if his blood lust wasn't in full force right now, while other bricks with paralyzing lights pinned Larxene and Marluxia in place. Xehanort never left his position, his eyes locked with Sora's blazing blue ones. Sora found this frustrating, looking at Ralph before the pixelated figure put Sora on his shoulder and flung him right at the dark master.

"Your friends aren't your power anymore!" Young Xehanort shouted, his tone clearly displeased in this change of the script. Summoning his own keyblade, he was going to use a Stopga, while the possessed form of Terra _somehow _alive after Donald's Zeta Flare launched a surge of Dark Volleys at Sora. The keyblade user didn't even flinch, clenching his fist and a massive army of Dream Eaters appearing right behind him. Creatures of all kinds were in Sora's steed, Meow Wow and Komory Bat helping Sora travel faster through either some bounces or an additional asset with his own natural gliding abilities. Sora gave a proud smirk at his dream companions, giving a sideways glance before patting Meow Wow's head. The cat-dog creature charged ahead, with Sora hopping off and it colliding right into Young Xehanort, the creature's powerful light preventing Stopga from being cast. Sora's Komory used its sonic screams to pin Terra-Xehanort, completely confusing him.

"So, you really can fight on your own." Sora saw Dark Riku, standing with Luxlord, being the final guards before Xehanort. Dark Riku was going to taunt Sora but a quick sap of lightning pinned the dark clone in place. Sora felt a warm presence on his shoulder, scratching Stitch's electric chin before flinging his alien friend at his foes. He used his blaster to shoot powerful electric blasts, with Sora warping right behind Luxlord and using a thunderza right on the man. He was electrocuted so badly, he couldn't move after taking the blow. Dark Riku was being attacked again and again by Stitch, the little creature never letting up.

A dark laugh got Sora's attention, his darker bother having an amused smirk. Sora just gave a blank expression, holding his hand out and letting his dream eaters take care of him. Vanitias sighed, using his Unversed in an attempt to find Sora's own army off. All this chaos left only Sora and Master Xehanort left. "Ah, so it's just you and me now, huh boy?"

"No…" Sora said bitterly, inches away from the man. Sora clenched his fist. "Mickey…." Sora swung Mickey's Kingdom Key D, hitting Xehanort right in the face. "Donald…" Sora shot a powerful fire blast right at the man, sending him flying. "Goofy…" Sora held his Kingdom Key like a shield, charging ahead and the hilt of the weapon slammed into Xehanort's throat. "Riku…" Sora felt his left-hand materialize Way to Dawn. "And Kairi!" Destiny's Embrace appeared in his right. "They are here with me! You didn't take them away!" Sora used his rusty dual wielding skills, Xehanort barely able to block his strikes.

"Mmm… So their hearts are in your weapons. Interesting." Xehanort smirked, letting his body slowly get encased in his goat armor. Readying his weapons, Sora was going to charge right into the man, but a loud sigh got his attention.

Sora felt the world around him vanish, his hands not wielding keyblades anymore. "I'm sick of seeing you have this dream brother." Vanitias groaned, flicking the Komory Bat that was still gnawing at his shoulder. The bat whined, landing on Sora's shoulder, the boy absent-mindedly scratching its chin. _Only… Only a dream. _Sora told himself, sitting on the glass mural he called his 'sleeping home' during heated dream sessions. "The old cod is dead, brother, I don't get why he scares you still."

"As if you can talk, you helped him." Sora spat, mind still recovering from the nightmare. Vanitias closed his red eyes, nodding in agreement before folding his arms. Sora frowning at himself, he curled up in a ball and looked at the dark sky above him. "Sorry… Just…"

"Hey, don't tell _me _sorry. I was the bad guy and still, sorta am." Vanitias sat down next to Sora, patting his shoulder. "I could feel the darkness in you during that. Normally, I'm all 'yeah, embrace the dark and snap someone's neck', but that doesn't work." Sora raised an eyebrow. "See, how I controlled the unversed was through _focused _darkness, not just mindless wrath. You wouldn't understand, your heart doesn't get…"

"Oh, it does." Sora cut in, making Vanitias blink in genuine surprise. "I… I was so _angry _that everyone just… _Forgave _Xehanort like that. The other Organization members, I can sorta understand. They seemed sad once I beat them." Sora frowned. "Except Young Xehanort. I had _no _issue giving him his dues."

"I wanted to end the insect myself, so you and me both," Vanitias commented, the two brothers snickering at one another. "Xehanort… I wanted to be whole again and he promised me Ven." Vanitias folded his arms. "Though, being honest, I would _have _gotten what I wanted, if your monster friend didn't butt in."

Sora made a relieved smile, recalling that _horrifying _encounter in Monstropolis. _I honestly thought I was a goner back there… _"Where did you end up anyway?" Vanitias put his hands behind his head, resting on the glass behind him. Sora smirked at the sight, surprised how similar his brother is acting like him.

"Some demon kid's room. He seemed all down over this Star chick dumping him." Sora mirrored his brother, laying on the glass now as well. "I told him 'Listen to some angry music and punch something' before bolting back to the old cod. Thought it was sound advice." Sora scoffed at this, making Vanitias sit upright. "Hey, not the social butterfly of our strange family like you and Venny."

"It's called being friendly. It's not hard." Vanitias smiled, looking down at the glass beneath him.

"Oh, I know. Don't be too friendly now brother, don't want to lead on that redhead." Sora blinked before sighing in annoyance. "Looking through your memories, _pretty _sure Rapunzel would have been into you if Eugene never showed up. Don't get me started on the mermaid, she was _all over you _both visits too…"

"I get the picture." Sora interrupted, making Vanitias have a victorious smirk. "Strez reminds me a lot of Kairi, so maybe that's why I'm getting attached." Sora took out something from his pocket, a broken charm that Kairi made for him. Vanitias took the object, with Sora about to object, but his brother just looked at it. Sora even saw the hand holding actually _burning_, as if Kairi's light was harming him.

"...Sorry if I was joking before." He gently passed Sora the charm and stood up. "But you know how strong Kairi's light is. Don't be stupid or I'll personally give some nightmares. Pretty good at that."

"Then I will throw my dream eaters at you, bro." Sora teased, with Vanitias shivering in discomfort. He vanished, with Sora looking into the distance… Body feeling heavy, Sora opened his eyes and woke up.

* * *

"Had a rough sleep, huh?" Sora turned to his left, seeing Neku stretching his back. "I try to listen to my music, helps me focus."

"Or dream about Shiki." Neku froze his normally stoic face tinting red. Hopping out of his bed, Sora started stretching himself. "Sorry if I kept you awake though." Neku shrugged his shoulders and dug through his pants. He took something out of his pocket, passing it to Sora. "Huh? What's…"

"I think you left it behind when we last met up." Neku gave a knowing smile, Sora seeing the Skull Noise keychain rest in his palm. Summoning the Kingdom Key, Sora clipped the keychain on and his blade turned into a familiar purple and black. Seeing the skull near the hilt, Sora smirked, it's weight just right. "I'm gonna get some breakfast, make sure you wake 9S up." Sora turned to the other bed in the room, seeing the android blankly looking at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Seems lost about something."

"2B…" He uttered, his right hand clenching into a fist. Sora was going to say something but felt it was best to leave him be. _He needs to sort his stuff out. _Memories of his talk with Vanitias during the dream played in his mind, the face of a girl with red hair appearing in his mind. _Just like I have too. _

Sora and Neku went to the bar area, seeing Tifa cleaning some glasses. "Morning boys." She slid over two warm mugs of coffee. Sora sniffed it, raising his finger. "Yes, your cup has extra sugar and milk." Sora smiled, taking a mighty gulp, letting the caffeine rush through his system. Neku simply shook his head, taking a small sip instead. "You guys heading out today?"

"I'm heading out with Toothless and Hiccup, we need to do special recon near Dragon's Den. Also, we need supplies." Neku started, fixing the headphones around his neck. "What about you Sora? Going to that, as Beat would say 'hip and stylish castle' today?" Sora held in a laugh, making Neku smirk. "The guy rubbed off on me, what can I say?"

"I guess I'm going to help Yozora with that." Sora took another sip of his drink. "Pretty sure the guy doesn't want to wait anymore." _I could relate. _Sora thought to himself, part of him having a hard time fully enjoying this latest adventure. The new and old friendships, yes, are nice and exciting. Joker and Strez, in particular, are people Sora's felt a strong connection with. _But I want to see my other half-pints, Riku and Kairi again. _Sora quickly drowned the thought out with more coffee, remembering that Neku, Shiki, Joker and everyone in this city wants to go home too. "Did Strez wake up yet?" Sora asked, hoping to change the subject rattling through his head right now.

"Well…" Tifa started, tapping her chin, her red eyes looking worried. "The poor girl never came down for dinner last night. You guys couldn't even open her door, which is surprising cause you are Mr. Key Boy." Sora brushed his noise at the comment, making Tifa give a weak smile. "Maybe you should wake her up, Sora."

"She isn't waking up from anyone else, so don't know what I can do," Sora said dumbly, drinking his coffee. Laughter got Sora to put his cup down, seeing Joker leaning on the wall. His face screamed 'You know that's a lie champ', but Sora played dumb, turning to Tifa. "Maybe if I give her some coffee, that might help."

"That a boy." Tifa smiled, filling up Sora's cup and giving him a fresh one. "Tell her Mama Tifa made the coffee with love." Sora rolled his eyes and waved Neku off. Sora paused right near Joker, giving him a somewhat annoyed look. A playful smirk was his response, walking toward the bar as Sora shook his head.

He eventually went to the inn floor of 7th Heaven, feeling himself pacing around Strelitzia's front door. _I'm not worried. _Sora convinced himself, just wondering if his friend would be willing to venture to the castle today. Yozora was going regardless if it was just Sora or a larger group. _And I would rather more people joining me. _Sora frowned, with Neku taking Hiccup and Toothless, busy for the day to gather supplies. In addition, Adam and Lara were busy simply talking about something in the bar area. Lastly, everyone else was just out doing something.

Hearing a click coming from the door, Sora snapped out of his thoughts and put on a toothy smile. "So you're finally up. Feeling better?" She yawned, her blue eyes half-opened and hair all disheveled. _Man, you even wake up like Kairi. _Sora kicked the thought out of his mind, letting Strez slowly wake up. "Everyone is busy right now, and Yozora is going to storm into that castle no matter who comes with him."

"That jerk can wait." She said half-annoyed, rubbing her eyes. "Can we get coffee first before dealing with tall, dark and moody?" Sora snickered at her comment, making the girl form a genuine smile. Sora passed her a mug, filled with warm coffee. "Did I tell you that you're a great friend?"

"No, but I don't mind hearing it." Sora playfully spat back, sipping his own cup. Seeing Strez's face become more animated, color returning to it as she carefully sipped her mug, made the Keyblade Wielder pleased with himself listening to Tifa's advice. Sora took a sip from his drink, letting his mind wander. This girl acted like Kairi, looked so similar to her and even apparently cares about him like her. _Kairi didn't stumble into this city with me, right? _Strez clearly had her differences, her outfit was a key one for example. And more somber personality in comparison to Kairi's soft but passionate one was something Sora also noticed. "...You are staring at me."

"Oh!" Sora jumped, some of his coffee spilling on the floor. She giggled at him, Sora sighing in response. "Sorry about that. My mind just thinks a lot more lately." Rolling her eyes, Strez walked with a skip to her beat, a smile clearly formed on her face. Sora was both relieved and felt bad, but decided to drown his confused mind with the soft elixir that was caffeine. The duo walked outside, seeing Yozora fiddling with his plasma blade. "How long were you waiting?"

"Long enough," Yozora replied, his tone flat. "You two ready? I hoped more of our friends would join us." Sora put his hands behind his head, with Strez giving a weak smile to Yozora. "Two keyblade wielders is great, plus my band of brothers actually doing something now."

"Come on Prince Yoz." A blond haired young man teased, walking up to Yozora and elbowing him. "We just were busy cleaning up the kitchen."

"If you weren't breaking yet another dish, Promoto." A sterner blond man uttered, fixing his black glasses. This made the other blond man frown, making the one with glasses twitch his lips into a smirk. "Glado, you got our gear ready?"

"Yep Ignus." The burly man with tattoos snaking over his arms replied, his eyes looking down on Sora and Strelitzia. "So you are the two my friend complains about," Sora smirked, folding his arms.

"Yeah, he's a moody guy, huh?" Sora elbowed the clearly unamused Yozora, the prince walking ahead. "That's his way of saying 'your my friend'. At least I think it is." Sora tapped his chin, with Promoto nodding a firm 'yes'. "So… Promoto, Ignus, and Glado, correct?"

The three nodded, with Promoto pulling Sora aside. "So… That's the gal we heard a lot about." Sora blinked at the question. "Coooome on, she clearly is into you." Sora bit his lip, _aware _of this and not liking that fact all too much. Sensing Sora wasn't smiling, Promoto backed off, sheepishly rubbing his neck.

"You are already teasing the lad?" Ignus said in exasperation, with Promoto shrugging his shoulders. Glado just lugged his massive weapon, walking ahead. "We can catch up, pretty sure Prince Yozora didn't fill you in on everything."

"Yeah." Strelitzia walked up to the guys, Promoto throwing his arm around her shoulder. Sora gave him a stern glare, the mess of blond hair sticking his tongue out at him. _Okay, can see why Yozora is a bit of a jerk sometimes. _"He seems distant for some reason."

"The four of us were traveling." Ignus started, pushing his glasses up using his gloved hand. "We eventually found our home, Somnus, ready to get our kingdom back after the war took hold." Sora blinked hearing this, his eyes drifting to the somber looking figure of Yozora. "We nearly got Stella back, but just as Yozora grabbed her hand, light took over everything."

"We woke up in this odd city," Promoto took over, holding up his finger playfully. "To all our shock, the castle we _just _got kicked out of, was in the city's center. Talk about strange, huh?"

"Then some black hooded punk…" Glado started, his fist clenched into a thick ball. "Tried challenging us, preventing us from even entering the castle." He sighed, his eyes thick with guilt and shame.

"His name is Luxu and he's nothing but trouble." Sora started, with Strelitzia pausing her moment completely. The entire group looked at her, the girl's left eye twitching. "Uh… I told you about him. His name was also Xigbar too and…"

"Sora, you are a keyblade wielder, master I think." She walked up to him, jabbing a finger into his chest. "How do you _not _know about the original masters?!" He blinked, having a dumb looking expression. She puffed out her cheeks, flustered her friend lacked the _basic _information Dandelions had to master day-zero. "Their names were Ava the Fox, Gula the Leopard, Aced the Bear, Invi the Snake, and Ira the Unicorn." She folded her hands behind her back, Sora shocked at how… Mature she sounded. He turned behind him, his new allies beyond confused. Promoto was going to raise his hand to ask a question but Ignus slapped it as if he was stupid. Turning back to Strelitzia, she had a somber smile on her face. "The Master of Masters, the original Keyblade Master, vanished one day. The rest is history."

"...Why did Yen Sid never tell me any of this?" Sora asked aloud, earnestly wondering why _no one _told him about past keyblade users other than the ones connected to his heart. _I feel so stupid right now. _Strelitzia blinked at Sora's comment, the later shaking her head. "But what was the last one? You mentioned Luxu is one of those guys."

"His title was Luxu the Goat, but the Book of Prophecies says he vanished after a great truth was revealed to him." Strelitzia looked conflicted, eyes narrowed at her feet. "How do you know him Sora? He should be long gone."

"I dunno, but the name I knew him by was Xigbar." Sora and Strelitzia just had confused expressions, but turning to the people behind them, the group was beyond lost. "Uh... " Sora tilted his head. "Keyblade, Keyblade, and... Keyblade! That explains it… I think."

"Oh, that clears _everything _up…" Promoto said in relief, with Ignus just feeling his left eye twitch in annoyance. Glado to his credit was pleased with the answer and walked ahead. "Let's meet up with Princey and get our home back! My trigger finger is itching for action."

"I sorta am too," Sora admitted, wanting to use the keychain he got from Kratos for a while now. _God of War? Godly Falls? Mmm… Fallen God. Yeah, that works. _The 'Fallen God' felt so powerful in his hands, Sora itching to try using it's form changes. Strelitzia smiled at the little group, the party heading down the long road and going to the 'world' entrance.

* * *

Master Sora's eyes were locked with Yen Sid, the wizard still and unmoving. His blue robe was drifting in the breeze, Sora's eyes darting around him for a brief moment. Stars were shining, oh they were shining. Blue seemingly painted the sky, meteors gently falling into the see-through ground beneath their feet. He would have smirked, recalling that nightmare battle when he helped Mickey out, but decides to shake the thought off. "Now…" Yen Sid closed his eyes, his hand making a keyblade materialize. It mirrored Mickey's latest one, stars coating it all over. But it had such _power _emanating off it.

"So the Original Ultima." Sora whistled, flicking his wrist, sticking with his Kingdom Key. Closing his eyes, Sora's clothes shifted to black, Second Form's power flowing through him. "I think my Kingdom Key is better gramps."

"By all means then, prove it." Yen Sid said with a smirk, Sora charging into the man, but he vanished in split second. Sora quickly turned around, blocking a powerful frontal strike from the wizard. Sora rolled away, thinking about _how _he could fight this man. Sora has faced _pretty _much everything, but one thing he learned… Sora held up his keyblade, letting Yen Sid attack him for a little while. Magic volleys and various keyblade strikes clashed against the Kingdom Key. Sora even saw the blade chip more, making him wince at never getting that looked at since his fight with Kratos. _He's a hard hitter like Terra and a powerful magic user. Alright. _Sora swung his weapon, shooting a weak Ragnarok strike, the blast clashing with a fireza blast.

Yen Sid saw Sora landing on the steam of music notes, the Master remembering Yen Sid's homeworld is _filled _with musical sounds. Grinding on the music, Sora used his Flowmotion to explore the great cosmos, his scarred eyes seeing Yen Sid flying in the air. "So you can Master Glide? Go figure."

"Surprised you cannot perform this action, student." Yen Sid mocked, with Sora leaping off the musical notes, slamming the Kingdom Key into Yen Sid's side. The wizard hissed with pain, unable to block the flowmotion-powered attack. _Now! _Sora at the last moment charged gravity magic into the blade's teeth. Yen Sid was sent flying toward a nearby meteor, a simple keyblade strike a lot more powerful thanks to Master Sora's off-the-wall thinking. "Very… Good." Yen Sid coughed, fixing his robe and making his weapon vanish. "Now, my turn."

Sora saw the darkened sky be covered with stars, the objects shining angelically. Yen Sid pointed them at Sora, the objects slowly coming his way. "Woah!" Sora quickly shifted to his Nano Arms, using it's form change and using the weapon to block various stars, but something clicked in Sora's mind. "Mmm…" Sora smirked, flicking his wrist and summing the Favorite Deputy, spinning the weapon around playfully and striking the falling stars. Yen Sid's eyes quirked up, unsure what madness Sora was undergoing.

Feeling enough power surging through him, Sora transforms the weapon into his Drill Arm, rushing like a speeding bullet toward the largest star. _Let's do this! _Sora shot a claw from the weapon, yanking the star. Landing on the ground, he spun it around and round, charging it's momentum both with its field of gravity and charging it up with his flowmotion. Yen Sid went wide, seeing the massive star being hurled right at him. The wizard cast a Reflectza, sending it right back at Sora. The smirk on the Master vanished instantly, gulping as he took the attack head-on... Or so it seemed.

Yen Sid didn't see Sora, hovering down over the crater he created trying to find his former student. Instead, he found a block of ice, shaped like Sora. "Made you look," Sora said teasingly, Yen Sid looking over his shoulder and being struck with a Zelta Flare. Sora dug his feet into the see-through ground, letting the surge of fire nearly engulf the wizard. Near-entering a death-state, Yen Sid used an Elixir somehow and used light magic to warp somewhere else.

Sora's eyes saw the man now on top of a tall mountain in the distance, waving his hands around like a conductor. The ground slowly got more solid, it reflecting Yen Sid's tower. _Maybe we are back… _Sora was going to ponder but the water was quickly filling up in the room. _Oh crap. _Jumping on the desk, his eyes studied the chamber, water rising ever more. "Trying to drown me huh? I know how this works, gotta cut some of those brooms of yours to smithereens." Sora took a deep breath, diving into the water. Using swimming skills he mastered in the Caribbean, he swam like his inner merman, slashing at incoming brooms trying to throw ice chunks toward his face. The room kept expanding, water making his vision hazy. _Come on… Come on… _Sora's blue eyes looked all over, spotting a large book in the distance._ Bingo! _Swimming toward it, Sora leapt out of the water like a fish, landing on the pages with grace.

"Escaped the chamber, did you now?" Sora turned around, seeing Yen Sid floating in the air. "Mickey actually never came this far during his training…" Sora's eye went wide at this piece of news. "Yes, I challenged my student. He needed so, as he was destined to be a king." Yen Sid launched lighting at Sora, the master leaping toward another floating book. "Just like you are destined to fall to the darkness whence you came."

"Yeah, keep calling the creator of keyblades 'darkness'." Yen Sid blinked. "You don't pay attention when others talk, do ya?" Sora flicked his wrist, summoning the Ultima Weapon. "Well, time for me to teach _you, _student." Sora charged into Yen Sid, landing a three-hit combo and using a light finisher, making the wizard stager. Feeling the powerful magic coursing through his body, Sora closed his eyes letting his clothes turn a vivid shade of white, an almost kingly coloring. His keyblade a proper sword, Sora let his many other keychains manifest, turning into a collection of twenty keyblades hovering around his person. "Dual wielding? How about using everything in your collection!"

Sora entered his own Super Glide, landing a powerful slash using the Kingdom Key. Yen Sid was going to block but Sora vanished into a keyhole. Then, he appeared out of another, using the Nano Arms. This onslaught kept on going, Yen Sid barely able to stay in the air, with Sora landing his twentieth strike, the Ultima Weapon reverting into its Keyblade form once more. Yen Sid slowly landed on the ground, water in his chamber apparently going down an invisible drain. Sora spotted a lone broom, picking up a bucket and standing before him, shaking its… Head? Or something, and walking off with his brothers and sisters.

"I'm not…" Sora held up his hand, making Yen Sid pause. Sora was about to talk but he started shaking, nearly falling on the ground if he didn't catch himself. Standing next to Sora, a tall man mirroring him, just donning darker clothing and having vivid red eyes appeared, glaring at Sora as if he was stupid. "Vanitias…"

"Yes old man, I'm in the Master. But he should end you after all the crap you put us through!" Vanitas shouted, with Sora giving him a stern, almost disappointing glare. "You complain to me all the time how he never respected you, how he…"

"And killing him just _magically _makes things better?" Sora refuted, his tone clearly angry. Vanitias simply shook his head, with Sora mouthing 'really now bro?' with Vanitias mouthing 'You are a stupid idiot'. Sora put a hand on his brother's shoulder, somewhat surprised with Vanitias not slapping it off. "I'm light, and you are darkness. Parts of a complete whole… We can't be complete if one of us goes too far, now can we?"

"No…" Vanitias replies, his tone clearly disappointed. Whenever it was for the lack of bloodshed or self-annoyance, Master Sora couldn't pinpoint. But he knew his brother, the overprotective soul that just _loved _to mask that under 'I hate everyone and want to kill puppies' personality. Regardless, Vanitias gave Sora a weak grin before vanishing, Sora getting up and patting his cheeks.

"Sorry about that, my brother likes to say his points aloud sometimes." Sora brushes a finger under his nose. But Yen Sid actually was shaking, his eyes wide like dinner plates. "What? You really think I'm going to let my dark side win?" Sora sat down on the ice chair he made for Mickey, somewhat still standing, and sat down professionally. Taking this as the fight concluding, Yen Sid sat down and composed himself somewhat. "Xehanort's biggest problem is that he took the wrong angle to accomplish what he wanted."

"Explain…" Yen Sid asked, completely dumbstruck. Sora smirked, seeing how he somewhat rattled the stoic, stern and powerful _master _Yen Sid of all people. Vanitias wanted to take the credit but Sora ignored his brother's thoughts.

"Master Xehanort wanted to cast the world with light." Sora clasped his hands together his blue eyes narrowing. "He really believed in trying to do 'the right thing'. I call it, well, hogwash. I would say something else, but I have a child in my head and he would not appreciate the foul language." Sora swore he heard Vanitas screaming bloody murder, making a faint chuckle. "He really just wanted power. I am, frankly, surprised everyone bought his little story back in Scala Ad Caleum. I didn't, not even for a minute." Sora folded his arms. "And this was when I was still a wide-eyed boy scout."

"What is your plan, if you want the same thing." Yen Sid asked, his composure returning and tone stern. Sora gave a genuine smile, actually feeling like he was being treated _like _a fellow master. _I like this feeling… _He would have mused actually conversations like this with the man going forward but he shoved the thought away for the moment.

"I can coexist with my younger self." Master Sora started, hands clasped together once more. "I wrote a large amount of that book you have…" Sora glared in slight annoyance. "Still don't get how you got your hands on it, but whatever. I will let that slide since you are a 'good guy' and all." Yen Sid quirked an eyebrow at that but Sora continued. "Anyway, one of my eyes…" Sora pointed to his left one. "Was in the No Name Keyblade for generations upon generations. I enchanted it, so whatever it saw, was documented in that book. Regardless of what happens going forward, the present will remain."

"Why did you say otherwise earlier then?" Yen Sid pondered, with Master Sora letting out a tired sigh.

"If I said 'Oh, the future is completely okay, thanks to having my eye being in some guys keyblade, the same guy that killed people and possessed young boys', I would have more questions to answer." Master Sora rubbed his forehead. "I really thought the 'Dark Seeker' just wanted to learn about darkness and use that to protect the light. Call me stupid or gullible, I dunno, but Xehanort was a huge disappointment…" Sora made a weak laugh. "Idiot didn't realize my _eye _was in the keyblade he wanted for many years. Blue eye on weapon, kid you want to 'nort has blue eyes. Hell, he even split a kid in half that had blue eyes." Sora tapped his chin. "Maybe that was his kink?"

"You okay?" Yen Sid honestly asked, with Master Sora letting out a laugh. "Well, you are still Sora, even…"

"If I'm more jaded and harsh, yes." Sora finished, wagging his finger. "Now…" Sora leaned forward, his eyes firm on Yen Sid. "I need to be _sure _that we're on the same page." Sora summoned his Kingdom Key. "Or I will listen to my brother's very loud annoying voice." Yen Sid read Sora's blue eyes firm with conviction and pride at what he was doing. No ounce of doubt was read on his face at all. Seeing this, when he witnessed it first hand on his other foes, the former Keyblade Master rubbed his beard and smiled at Sora. "...Huh, surprised you are actually listening to me."

"I… I _do _realize my mistakes. As do you, I imagine." They both exchanged knowing looks, frowns etched on their tired faces. "So you want Young Kairi and Master Riku to learn the ways of the original Keyblade Master. How are you going to accomplish this?"

"Well…" Master Sora smirked, his heart feeling some relief that he wouldn't have a major headache to deal with, something he didn't see coming at all when coming to confront his former teacher.

* * *

_** Sorry for the lack of non-Sora scenes but it's been a good bit (a few days) since last chapter. Will be starting our adventure in Mewni (planned the entire world out) and some good stuff is in store ;). **_

_**prince of underbrush - Exactly, the fight was a blast to write and I'm pretty sure you going to love it. **_

_**7 - Thank you :D.**_

_**Smlluffy67 - Thank you for your kind words! But if you pay attention to one of the early chapters, you get a hint about one of the worlds I'm going to cover. If you catch on, you just might smile at what you realize ;). **_

_**H.R.C. Stanley - I would give a long explanation on why MoM isn't a bad guy (same with the Foretellers) but I feel like I explained myself via the past two chapters (including this one). Just trust me in explaining everything as the story continues. **_

_**KaiserUltima - I got that feeling when Sora was able to use Second Form without the special clothing. But other characters don't know this, so it's a bit of information I can be loose with. **_

_**redlox2 - This chapter specifically answers and/or clears up any confusion that people may have. I also PM'd you about this, so hope that explains everything. And yes, this fight was fun to write. **_

_**Sentinel07 - As someone still trying to grasp everything going on with KH Union Cross, I'm interested in what you're referring too. But I'm sure we will stumble across it as the story continues. **_

_**Dom2040 - All Nobodies regain the memories from their human selves and their time being nobodies. And glad you like my take on Larxene, she's a ton of fun to write. **_

_**blackpackager - Oh you and your comments :'). But I'm am happy to bring more of Dandelions and former Keyblade users into the mix. It's a great excuse to have mini-adventures happening in the background and establish 'there is more going on than just the Soras and Riku/Kairi Adventure going on. **_

_**ThePsychoPath96 - You will see what I have planned... **_


	19. Shooting Star Ignites

_**Before I go any further with things, Star Vs is something I know a lot about. A casual glance on my author's page here could tell you I wrote ATON of fics on the show. Even helped co-write some things with other writers on this site. If you are a casual fan of Star Vs or never even watched the show, don't worry, I will explain how the world works. But if you DO know a lot about the show, then you will love what I've done here ;). Anyway, this is a short chapter and I will be putting another out soon-ish, but just know that for the next few chapters, the focus is going to be on Mewni (with various perspectives playing off one another). **_

_**I would recommend a song to play during the opening scene but any KH fan worth their salts knows what I'm referring too. **_

* * *

The sounds of water gently moving with the breeze got Marco's attention, the red-hooded boy slowly getting up. _Where am I? _Marco looked at his feet, seeing them soaked. _I hate wet socks… _He groaned but his mind had a hard time being annoyed when he looked up at the sky above him. Clouds, white as the eye could see, were gently moving with the wind. The bright blues almost made his heart melt, if a faint red object wasn't trying to shine through the clouds. _The blood moon? How can a moonshine through daylight… _

Marco put his hands within his hoodie, exploring this strange heaven-like location, passing by floating star objects faintly muttering words. None of them could speak in his native tongue, but somber sadness radiated off all of them. _Must be heaven… _Marco's brown eyes went wide at this realization, looking around in panic. "Star!" Marco tried to shout but found his voice was gone, only the air he breathed escaping his trembling lips. _It's okay… Marco, you've been through worse. Spent sixteen years fighting H-Poo's, punched an immortal lizard through the chest and dealt with demon ex-boyfriends. Take deep breaths. _His nerves slowly became less rattled.

_**Your fate is interesting… **_

_Huh? _Marco looked around him, the heavenly location shifting slowly into pitch black, Marco freefalling. _Come on! _The boy shouted in his mind, trying to dig out his dimensional scissors out of his pocket, hoping to get a better landing or escape this strange dream.

_**Your heart is stronger than most expect… **_

_Thank you I guess? _Marco groaned as he face-planted on the glass mural beneath him. He was holding Star in her Golden Butterfly form, her six arms hugging him with a content smile on her lips. _She is so pretty… _Marco mused, his cheeks faintly glowing their crescent's. Surrounding the two of them, were various allies and loved ones in small circles. The demon teen Tom giving a thumbs up. The body-less head that was Pony Head winking in one of them. A brown haired girl in a beanie hat he recognized as Janna making a hex-formation with her hands. A girl with green hair he recognized as Kelly, her sword lugged over her shoulder. _What is this… _Marco kelt down, his fingers brushing against the glass.

_**Your world is in danger… **_

_Menwi? _Marco's raised an eyebrow. _Mewni is always exciting for one reason or another. _Memories of the past few months played in his mind said memories projected on glass screens hovering around him. Marco's brown eyes went wide, so many moments of his life appearing around him.

Meeting Star for the first time, the two battling monsters together in front of some store. The duo facing off against Toffee, an evil lizard man, for the first time. Marco holding Stara as she cried over losing her spell book to Ludo, a little bird fellow that lost his marbles. Star's bold confession and running off Earth for good. Their reunion in the castle dungeons after Star's capture. And her death trying to save Mewni, Marco's hands clenched into thick balls. _What are you doing mind?! I know all this already! _The memories kept playing, Marco having a hard time looking at the recent ones. The moment he saw a beach, Marco shook his head and punched the glass, tears coming down his eyes.

_**But your heart needs further testing… **_

The glass shards on the ground slowly shifted into creatures he's come to know over the past few weeks. _Heartless… _Marco clenched his fists, charging into them and landing various karate chops and kicks. The creatures didn't react at all, the Shadow Bugs leaping on Marco, the boy trying to throw them off. _Why isn't this working?! It works usually. _Feeling his right hand itch, Marco swung it, feeling the familiar weight of El Chopo. Holding the blade with two hands, his eyes looked down upon it, seeing _not _his weapon. But a weapon his new friends explained were… Keyblades? Key Swords? Marco didn't care, holding it firmly like a reaper and charging into the Shadow Bugs.

Making quick work of them with careful slashes, three pillars appeared before Marco. One of the sword, another being a shield, and the last having a mage's staff. _What is this? _Marco walked up to them, Keyblade still in his right hand.

_**Choose the power you seek to keep… **_

Marco instantly grabbed the sword with his left hand, it vanishing into dust.

_**Choose the power you are willing to lose… **_

_This is an obvious one. _Marco picked up the staff, figuring Star would have his back with magic. _I'm the swords and fists guy. _Marco smirked as staff vanished.

_**You desire to protect your light… **_

The world around Marco shifted once more, the glass mural gone and instead, it was replaced with a ballroom. _Wait… _Marco slowly walked ahead, seeing familiar red hues around him. Looking up, symbols of the blood moon were before him, girlish giggles making him face forward. _Star! _Marco smiled, rushing to hug her, but she went right through his arms. _What? _

_**But your light is fading… **_

Star continued giggling, her outfit changing from her narwhal dress, one that she made herself, into something darker. The princess slowly was encased in a dark sphere, Marco feeling his right hand summoning the Keyblade.

_**Save your light… **_

Star exploded out of the ball, charging into Marco a darkness infused punch.

_**Before it's gone forever.**_

* * *

Marco jumped out of his bed, his body sweating profusely. "W-What was _that_?!" He looked around his room, seeing his door closed. "O-Oh. Just a nightmare." Marco sat down, letting out a nervous laugh. "Funny, been having those a lot lately. Pfft, me using one of those key things."

He continued laughing but eventually went silent, looking at his open right hand. Closing his eyes, he focused on his light. Feeling a hefty weight in his hand, he opened them, surprised to see a very different looking weapon from the dream. It still was a Keyblade, but its hilt had a Yin-Yang symbol in the center. In addition, the teeth bore a crown-like shape, not unlike the ones a king would wear. The steel of the weapon was a mixture of purples and reds, Marco figuring it's referencing the Blood Moon and Star's old wand.

"Marco?" The door slowly opened, with Riku and Kairi walking inside. "We were trying to find Star and was hoping…" Riku's eyes went wide, as did Kairi's. "Marco… You can use a Keyblade?"

"...I guess?" Marco made a sheepish grin, the uneasy looks from Kairi and Riku sending a lot of mixed messages. "Assuming this is a bad thing, huh?"

"Yes and no," Kairi replied, rubbing her neck. She sat down next to Marco, while Riku leaned near Marco's neat desk. The boy twitched seeing Riku move some papers around by accident but he read the uneasy tension in the room, letting it slide. "A keyblade user is a homing beacon for heartless." Kairi summoned her Destiny's Embrace, her free hand brushing over its flowers. "You have to be a skilled fighter, or a person with great light, to use one of them."

"The keyblade can either be bequeathed to you by another user, or it chooses you itself." Riku folded his arms, his eyes having a somber shine to them. "Sora… It picked him. He wasn't bequeathed like Kairi or I were."

"Huh…" Marco looked at his weapon, trying to understand what was going on. "Well, maybe Star has some answers. She's usually practicing spells near the castle courtyards or talking to Pony Head on her mirror phone." Standing up, he made the weapon vanish, rubbing his neck. "Man, what a morning."

Riku saw Marco leave the room, giving Kairi a look asking 'Why is he so calm about this?' with Kairi just shrugging her shoulders. Marco felt his new friends following him, and read their implied thoughts. _Odd things happen to me and Star often. But I'm more worried about the dream. Is… Is Star in danger?_

* * *

Deep in the forest of death, it's odd trees giving faint looks at one another before hissing as per usual, two figures were walking toward a little tree house. A woman in blue robes joined a young man in his golden-ish yellow ones, the two have their eyes focused. That was until the one in yellow made a weak cough. "I know this is boring but remember what the queen told us, this place is dangerous Gula."

He rolled his blue eyes, resting his hands behind his short blond hair. Ava rubbed her own green eyes, feeling tired. It's been a good few weeks since they came here under Master Sora's orders and once they got word from Luxu that Ava was found, and actually coming _too _Mewni to help Young Kairi and Master Riku get training… _What are we still doing here? _The blue haired master wondered, her eyes looking toward her covered feet. Gula stopped walking, turning his head slightly right playfully. "Invi, this place is strange." She let out a scoff, making Gula smirk. "Seriously, we've been to a number of worlds. This one is beyond confusing, trees having eyes? Odd monsters that I _think _are the heartless Sora warned us about…"

"It's _Master _Sora." Invi corrected Gula, waving her finger playfully. Gula folded his arms, raising an eyebrow. "...I don't like calling him father, as I'm sure you don't either."

"He is though," Gula responded, his face growing a pleased expression, remembering a positive memory. Invi simply shook her head, mind lost in her thoughts. _Since I woke up… Been feeling off. _She remembered the Keyblade War and… Nothing else. Luxu summoned her and her fellow siblings, the Master coming out of a black box of all things. _If he looked for Ava and found her, what are Gula's and my role now? _Her mind quickly shifted to another thought, frowning. _On second thought, glad we don't have defined roles anymore. _The less said about her strained relationships with Aced and Ira, the better in her mind.

"You fool!" The two Masters paused, hearing a familiar voice. Gula waved his hand, Invi following him toward a bush. They saw a bumbling idiot they remembered was called Pete and a witch that they saw Master Sora took down in person not long upon waking up, Maleficent. Her thin figure and dark robes made the two cover their noses, annoyed their masks were destroyed recently. _I always feel sick being around this woman. _Invi thought, her green eyes narrowed on the two figures before her. They were near the tree house, a place a green-haired girl allowed them to stay in for the time being. "The boy is smarter than he looks."

"I know boss but girly isn't the sharpest tool in the shed," Pete said in defense. "Why don't you just make her a heartless already?" Maleficent gave a dark glare with her yellow eyes, making Pete stumble back in fear. "Uh… What about the other princess and that Riku fella. Those guys are here now."

"And not to mention the _pests _Sora sent to watch over them," Maleficent uttered with distaste. Invi held Gula's shoulder, seeing the raw anger in his blue eyes. _Easy tiger. _This did little to clam Gula down, but Invi was wondering. _Maybe this is why that queen can use heartless? _"We got the Queen within our grasp but the Princess… I need her." Maleficent looked at her shaking hands, taking deep breaths to calm down. "This body isn't going to cut it anymore."

Invi's eyes went wide, turning around and having both hands on Gula's shoulders. "This is why the master sent us here." She said aloud quietly, with Gula's own blue eyes narrowed at his older sister. "We need to find the Princess and warn her."

"Let's just end the old hag now " Gula suggested, his hand itching to summon his keyblade, familiar lightning flowing through his fingertips. "If we wait around for Ava to show up, it might be too late."

"I think we should leave," Maleficent said suddenly, her eyes locked on the bush Invi and Gula were behind. "We have unwanted eyes." Pete gulped and dashed ahead, with the witch slowly following him, yellow eyes having a victorious glare to them. The keyblade masters slowly left the bush, walking toward the tree house and having worried expressions firmly on their faces.

A mess of green hair rushed up to them, holding a dead bore in her arms. "Hey, guys! I didn't know you were hunting too." The girl, Invi remembering her name being Kelly, said joyfully. Lugging a large sword over her shoulder, she looked around the forest. "Huh… Something happened, huh?"

"You are friends with the Princess, right Kelly?" Gula asked, his tone calm and collected. Kelly scoffed, throwing the slain pig-goat over her shoulder and climbing up the tree house. Gula followed but Invi waited till they were inside; her robes didn't need animal guts on them. Once inside, Kelly put a mat on the floor and put the dead creature inside it, wrapping it up for later.

"Star? She's my bud, just like how Marco is my battle buddy." Kelly folded her arms, black eyes filled with worry. She narrowed them, leaning forward upon realizing something. "Let me guess, the witch friend of hers, huh?"

"She is friends with Maleficent?" Invi and Gula said at the same time, with Kelly nodding. She walked into the little fridge her and Marco put into the tree house, taking out three cans of soda. Throwing two to Invi and Gula, she sat down on a nearby stool and took a sip.

"Yep. I think so anyway, Star told me the other day she met a lady in black clothing, promising her power to find Moon." She frowned, looking at her lap. "Star really misses her Mom. At least she has Marco." Kelly took another sip, with Gula and Invi looking at one another.

If one story their master told them stuck more than others than it would be a tragic love story between three teenagers. It was of two young men, leaving their island home, trying to find the girl they called their light. But both boys fell to darkness trying to save her, both eventually being saved but at great costs. They both didn't even see the girl at the end, leaving her for a forced adventure in some odd castle. Looking at each other, they could _easily _see how this story could repeat itself.

"Did your friend happen to have two boys fall for her?" Invi asked, with Kelly spitting out her drink. Taking that as a resounding yes, Invi rushed out of tree house, with Gula giving a weak smile.

"...I'm coming with," Kelly said with a fire in her black eyes, Gula letting her follow him and Invi to what they remembered was called Butterfly Castle.

* * *

"Bunny Storm!" Star shouted, hanging out in the Castle Courtyard and practicing her magic. The wide open space the castle offered made her smile, relieved that Eclipsa despite being 'the rightful queen' let Star both live and train here. _Beats trying to live on a ship with dad watching me every moment. _Star mused to herself, the storm of bunny's attacking some heartless.

What Star found odd about the creatures, is that instead of the fear that her fellow Mewmans and even her Marco had… Was just filled with excitement instead. Unlike fighting monsters back on Earth or the odd adventure that happened ever so often, these creatures apparently didn't feel pain. _So I can go all out on these suckers without feeling too bad. _Star smirked, feeling her inner magic surge through her hands. What spell to use now… The Narwhal Blast? Nah, to basic.

Star rolled away, her blond hair flowing with the wind. Crystal Heart Daggers, literal daggers made of hearts, seemed like overkill; Star knew from experience they tore the shadow creatures apart in seconds. _Oh! _She smirked, leaping in the air and trying out a spell she learned from shadow lady. _I can't remember her name well but she's okay. _"Shadow Blitz!" Holding out her hands, a storm of shadows escaped from it, the waves of darkness mixed with her own inner light, making shadow clones of herself. The stars waved hello joyfully before turning on the heartless creatures, their yellow eyes watching the Shadow Stars punch and kick them.

"Look out!" Marco shouted out of nowhere, slamming his United Bonds Keyblade right on a heartless dashing toward Star. "How are you just _okay _with these things running around?!" Star rolled her blue eyes, making Marco's brown orbs twitch in frustration. "We gotta talk about your love of rushing into things sometimes."

"It's my best trait," Star smirked, using her magic to summon a pink battle mace, slamming a Shadow Heartless into a paste. She gave Marco a sideways glance, winking playfully at him. The boy turned into a blushing mess, quickly shaking the feeling off as he ducked from a Large-body Heartless came his way, making a strike with it's claws. Marco held out his keyblade, the creature charging into him like a tank, but the block sent him back somewhat. Marco entered the battle position, holding his weapon like a reaper. Making careful jabs and powerful thrusts, the heartless large and small were no match.

A few Shadow Bugs left, Star and Marco looked at one another, a knowing confident smile firmly on each other's faces. Taking each others hands, they spun around like a skillful dancing duo, Star shooting magic and Marco slashing with their free hands. They stopped spinning, feeling the ever-present Blood Moon watching them, shining down and ending the remaining heartless with a burst of red magic escaping Star and Marco's held forms. She looked at him lovingly, with Marco having a confident smirk on his face. _I love it when you are like this… _Star thought lovingly, her heart marks radiating.

In the background, Kairi and Riku blinked, seeing this battle couple destroy the heartless like nothing. Kairi thought back to Eugene and Rapunzel, but even those two don't compare to how…

"You and Sora will be just like that." Riku teased, Kairi's face a blushing mess. She sharply elbowed Riku and rushed up to her new friends. The boy winced, but he smiled at the sight before him. "I really do mean that though... " His smile faded upon what Marco told him last night. "Hopefully we can prevent _her _from ruining things." He walked up to them, arms in his pockets and his mind drifting to thoughts both worried and hopeful.

* * *

**_H.R.C. Stanley - Thank you for the kind words._**

_**prince of underbrush - Of course, MoM is a skilled warrior that has no issue facing the toughest of the toughies. But on a serious note, the scene is a huge love letter to Fantasia, as I love that movie and wanted to honor one of the great worlds in Dream Drop Distance. **_

_**7 - Wait and see, good reader.**_

_**blackpackager - Your questions always come back to the romantic pairings... I honestly have a few set ones (Sora X Kairi, Riku X Namine, Roxas X Xion, Terra X Aqua, etc) and will play around with them accordingly. Just know that I will do good for MoM when the time comes. And I do wonder if things are heating up in the icey mountains... We may see that next chapter or something ;). **_

_**TaitanoRules555 - I loved writing it too, as I came up with the idea while out one day. Sora likely has nightmares of his battles toward the end of KH3, for obvious reasons. **_

_**Sentinel07 - Funny you mention confusion with the names I introduce, as I established Star and Marco were going to be involved somehow (Chapter 5 I think) and even low-key introduced Prince Yoz's band of brothers a while back, just without saying their names. Adam and Lara were in... I think chapter three if I recall correctly. Point being, I don't just throw names and what not, I use them for fun interactions. KH is one massive cross-over, so why not run with it.**_

_**redlox2 - Ava is going to meet Riku and Kairi very soon, so keep an eye out ;).**_


	20. Spell Weaver

_**Hello everyone, back with another chapter. If you check my author page, another project may be in development, connected to this one. But more on that as I actually get work done on it. Anyway, if you are a fan of Star Vs, some huge nods to the show are present. And by the time this is published, the show's fourth season will be airing. So if you want to get a better idea on what I'm basing these next few chapters on, highly recommend giving it a look of you have the time. **_

_**Anyway, the adventure continues!**_

* * *

"So that's why Young Kairi is on Mewni?" Yen Sid asked, a broom servant pouring himself and Master Sora a cup of coffee. Master Sora nodded, taking a sip from his cup, a relieved smile firmly on his face. _To think, the tried and true art of 'beating each other up' can mend bridges. Must be Keyblade user's form of sorry or something. _He casually looked at a nearby window, seeing the stars still shining brightly.

"Mewni is a place, being perfectly honest, I know very little about." Sora put his cup down, his face growing a more natural expression. Yen Sid leaned forward, eyes narrowed. "You know I've never visited the location on any of my past adventures. But my dark brother here..." Sora tapped the back of his head. "Stumbled upon an angry demon prince and through having a D-Link as Vanitias calls it, was able to read the kid's thoughts." Sora closed his hands together, making a small laugh. "To think, that place is so off the radar until you actually look for it... "

"You mentioned to me, something called The Realm of Magic." Sora took a sip of his coffee, letting the caffeine charge his mind with enough energy to explain the next point. Feeling like he had enough, Sora put the cup down and rubbed his forehead.

"...Yes, the Realm of Magic. Again, my memory of this is hazy at best, considering I never visited the world and Vanitias only knows about this from off-hand knowledge. But, it's a place filled with magic and if someone were to discover Mewni, they would find out about this place." Sora leaned forward. "I figured, my student Ava might have been there, her body recovering in a safe place. I had a hunch though she was in the Underworld, and low and behold, my gut instinct was right."

"Does the…" Sora nodded right away, not even _wanting _to utter the witches name. "Ah, so that's why some of your students are there. Then explain why Young Kairi and Master Riku are Mewni."

"Between…" Sora starts counting down on his fingers. "My students helping them out, the princess and her friend having their backs, and potentially learning more powerful uses for waking... " Sora closed his hand, having a toothy smile. "I'm pretty sure they will get a few lessons out of it."

"But if _she's _around, then that means the world is in danger." Sora nodded, but his face looked the least bit concerned. "And this doesn't bother you at all?"

"Why would it bother me, when there's going to be six keyblade wielders running around?" Sora asked with a straight face. Yen Sid blinked and rubbed his beard, then his eyes went wide, looking right at Sora's. "Yep, the princess's friend has potential. I could see that even with the faintest memories Vanitias got out of demon boy."

"Mmm... " Yen Sid closed his eyes, mulling over something. Sora just took another slug of his coffee, part of him hoping he was right as much as his inner confidence was. _Things can go wrong very easily, so I might have to give a hand worst comes to worst. _Sora remembered big failings, both himself and other masters, had with their students. _Never again. _"Very well then, I will dismiss you."

"Excuse me? I think you mean 'You may leave now, fellow master' Yen Sid." Sora joked, with Yen Sid, raising an eyebrow. "Ah, right. You never titled me 'Master'. Oh well." Sora stretched his back and left the room, waving his hand goodbye. As he walked down the ever-endless stairs, Sora paused, his eyes spotting a nearby door. "I guess Ava's students are in here…" Sora opened the door and held in a laugh at the sight before him.

"Come on!" Erena shouted, Laurium smirking proudly at his full hand. "You always cheat like this." Laurium covered his chest in mock hurt, with Erena groaning in annoyance. They turned toward their left, seeing Master Sora lean on the wall with an amused smirk on his face.

"So when you two weren't kicking my butt in that Castle, you were playing cards on dates." They both blinked in response. "Well, other lives and all that. Look, I'm going to head out to find our other former Organization friend. Want to come with?"

"On one condition." Laurium stood up and folded his arms, his eyes narrowing somewhat. Sora inwardly groaned but kept a smile on his face. "We find my sister. I've been looking for her…" Erena held his hand, his face slowly forming into a warmer expression.

"I know what it's like looking for someone. And you would be shocked to learn, your sister and I became good friends." Master Sora closed his eyes and let memories of his last big adventure dance in his mind. Opening them, his face formed a thin line. "Trust me, when I say she's okay." Both saw Sora's blue eyes fierce with a protecting fire. Erena's eyes went wide at this but Laurium just smiled, nodding pleased and walking to Sora's side.

"So we are finding Luxlord?" Erena asked, with Sora nodding and opening a Corridor of Darkness. "...Why do I smell swamp water from the corridor?"

"Hope you guys like the warm summer heat of a jungle, cause your pal's there." Sora took a deep breath, letting out a pleased sigh. "Never thought I would visit Tarzan again, this worldline closed off his world for some reason." Sora walked ahead, his two reluctant companions following.

* * *

Castles were nothing new to Kairi, and if she was being honest, Butterfly Castle wasn't all that different from her very vague memories of Radiant Garden. Colors giving a clear authoritative coloring, mainly lots of blues and purples coating the castle inters. But the one thing that surprised her, was the number of paintings. Seeing many queens hanging proudly on the walls holding various wands, a weapon Star told Kairi was 'the super duper powerful thing queens use'. _She's really underselling it. _Kairi pondered, tapping her chin as she paused in front of one painting in particular. It was of a woman in light blue hair, no older than Star herself. She was shooting her wand, a radiant crystal heart for it's tip, blasting the finger off a grey lizard man. The strange looking pig-goat nor the seemingly ruined battlefield didn't strike Kairi all that much. What got her attention, was the near grief-stricken look the girl in the painting had.

Star and Marco were talking in the distance, Kairi realizing she was _way _behind and rushed up after them. "...And I woke up and summoned this." Kairi caught Marco saying, likely telling Star how he got his keyblade, something that surprised her. _Why do I get a bad feeling about this? _She thought, remembering Sora getting the keyblade _right _before their home was lost to the darkness. Riku pats her shoulder, squeezing it as if echoing her thoughts. But seeing how bright and bubbly Star was before them, neither Kairi nor Riku had it in them to say what was on their minds. Star grabbed the weapon out of Marco's hands and started swinging it like a trained warrior, but upon the third swing, it vanished, making Star pout. "It's taken a liking to me." Marco teased, with Star elbowing him.

"You jerk… I wanted one too." Star playfully teased, with Marco rolling his eyes. If what the boy said about Star was true… She didn't _need _a keyblade at all, her magic was more than enough. Seeing her tear heartless apart earlier answered that to Kairi and Riku. "But can you shoot magic out of it? Or tear open portals? Or transform it?!" Star's eyes were wide like her namesake, making Marco blush. _They are so cute together. _That was the other thing that caught Kairi's attention more than anything else; how close these two are.

Sora told Kairi stories about couples he's encountered across worlds. Jack and Sally. Jasmine and Aladdin. Cloud and Tifa. So on and so forth. But the dynamic these two teens shared made her heart glow. _And I'm a princess of heart. _Wanting to know Star better, Kairi walked up to her fellow Princess of Heart and smiled. "A lot of what you asked Star, are things Keyblades _can _pull off. But it takes a lot of time to master it." Kairi summoned her Destiny's Embrace, holding it out for Star to see. "I only recently learned Form Changes and combat skills. It takes _a lot _to learn how to use one of these." _And lose a lot too. _Kairi wanted to add but didn't. Marco and Star gave a somber smile in understanding, surprising Kairi.

"Yeah… I feel you girl." Star started, rubbing her arms and making a sheepish laugh. "Anyway!" Star turned around suddenly and put on a smile that would rival's Sora's toothy grin. "How about some grub! Fighting those cuties…"

"Heartless." Marco corrected but Star just waved her hand, as if Marco didn't call the dangerous things… Well, dangerous.

"Works up a girl's appetite. Maybe my recent cooking skills can be put to use." Marco raised a finger, wanting to remind Star that she and cooking is a _horrible _idea after running out of a bakery in flames a few weeks ago. But ignoring him yet again, Marco let out a loving sigh and shook his head.

"Let's make sure the kitchen doesn't go up in flames guys." Marco turned around, gesturing Kairi and Riku to follow him. The trio walked past more paintings of seemingly Queens and Kings that ruled the kingdom, eventually finding the castle's kitchen. Marco looked around for the chiefs but all he saw as a little white monkey, throwing it's chef's hat on the ground and storming off. "Well, we lost our cook."

Riku was going to ask _why _a monkey was the cook, but Kairi pat his shoulder, silently reminding him of Little Chief in Twilight Town. Loud music got their attention though, with Star humming a tune escaping her mirror phone. Next to her was the queen herself, Eclipsa Queen of Darkness. _That name really isn't very fitting. _Kairi frowned, seeing the lady as nothing but nice. Riku's warning about her completely baffled Kairi, but considering his past experiences with darkness, she didn't fully doubt her friend either. Seeing the seemingly young woman helping Star cook was a charming sight, Kairi walking up to them and offering if they need her help.

But she paused upon the sight of Marco's face turning white. "Who is the maid with the buttercup hair? Who sleeps on moonbeams and dances on air…" The speakers blasted, with Marco mouthing 'why' over and over. Riku and Kairi looked at one another, eyebrow's raised. "With tears made of honey and a heart full of bunnies, whose infinite virtues are known near and far… Is Mewni's own sweetheart, our dear Princess Star."

"She has her own song?" Kairi asked, having a hard time containing a giggle. Marco mouthed 'shut up' but Riku just smirked back at him.

"The forces of evil that lurk in the night, will cower in fear when this shooting Star...ignites!" Star sang, mixing her pancake mix rapidly while Eclipsa jammed out on her invisible air guitar. Star's voice grew louder, with her taking the mixing stick and singing into it. "Weaving magic like a born spell-caster. And wreaking havoc like a natural disaster, she rocks her Narwhal Blast and Warnicorn Stampede. She's gonna earn her crown, so hail to the quee-e-e-een!"

Eclipsa just jammed out some more, with Riku and Kairi enjoying the little light show Star was unintentionally making with her fingers. Her eyes opened, seeing an very amused Riku and Kairi. Her blue eyes went wide frantically rushing to turn off the phone. It slid across from her, landing right before her friends. The screen flickered, the song playing again.

"Who is the boy in the earthly attire?" Eclipsa gave a knowing smirk, using her magic to clean up the mess while Star rushed over to get her phone. Kairi, wanting to be playful, picked up the phone and studied it. "The prince of the princess's deepest desire, I don't need to show it, I think we all know it. But just to be certain, I'll say it again!" The sounds escaped the phone, with Star's heart marks vividly glowing so bright, they could have lit the room itself. Kairi closed the phone, falling on the floor and laughing her butt off. Riku just sighed, passing Star the phone, music finally ending.

"Star Butterfly is in love with her best friend," Marco said softly, giving Star an understanding look. "Forevermore." He kissed her cheek, Star hugging him. "Guys… This is uh… One of our weaker moments. Please don't talk about this song, okay?"

"Lips are sealed." Riku made a gesture, giving Kairi a teasing smile. "I could read all of Kairi's love poems about Sora if that would make you feel better." Kairi stopped laughing, her face now red as Star's heart marks. "Only fair after you teased them."

"Well, that was _fun_." Eclipsa laughed, giving Riku and Kairi warm looks. "You two are good eggs. Now, since you found my little grand daughter's _fun _love life so enjoyable, want me to tell you about her other boyfriend?"

"Other boyfriend?" Riku and Kairi said in unison, with Star mouthing 'Grandma' and Marco shaking his head. Memories of their childhood popped up, Riku remembering his rivalry with Sora over Kairi as kids.

"You both were idiots back then," Kairi replied, reading his thoughts. Star hearing this, took Kairi's hand and mouthed to her 'spill the beans girl' and they went deeper in the kitchen, leaving the boys to head into the dining area with Eclipsa.

* * *

Riku and Marco were alone with Eclipsa, both looking at one another. _If you aren't going to ask, I will. _Riku said through his eyes, with Marco just poking at his plate. _Fine, I guess. _"Uh, your majesty?"

"Darling, just call me Eclipsa." She answered, with Riku coughing. Marco sighed, resting his arms behind his head.

"I think it's no secret you know about other worlds, right Eclipsa?" Riku started, with the Queen nodding, her purple eyes looking somewhat confused. "My friends and I never visited your world before, so us coming here was to help my friend Kairi grow stronger." Riku clasped his hands, taking a deep breath before mentioning her name. "Have you seen a woman in black? She has black horns on her head, yellow eyes and wears a black robe. She loves black, what can I say."

"Mmm…" Eclipsa tapped her chin, eyes studying Riku with great interest. "And if I perhaps know of this woman, what then?" Riku was going to stand up but a firm look from Marco screaming 'play it cool man' pinned him in place.

"I saw her help Star," Marco started, Eclipsa turning her eyes to what she considered to be her nephew. "I got bad vibes from her, but Riku here said she's nothing but trouble." Eclipsa frowned at this, making Marco fold his arms. "Hey, I didn't trust you for a while, but you've proven to me you care about Star." Marco gave a caring smile. "That's all I need to get your trust."

Riku looked between the two of them, letting out a sigh of relief. _Maybe things aren't so bad here after all. _"You may think she's nice, helpful and supportive. But take it from _me_, Eclipsa." Riku narrowed his blue eyes, matching Eclipsa's doubtful ones. "Maleficent only wants to use people for her benefit. Please, if you know where she is, tell us before…"

"You can turn into a golden butterfly?" Kairi asked in complete shock, with Star giving a wide smile in response. Riku didn't finish his thought, seeing Marco and Eclipsa's worried expressions. Star leaped in the air, zapping every plate with a delicious looking cupcake. "And you can conjure food up out of thin air…" Kairi sat next to Riku, her face beyond impressed. "She would be a great teacher. Master Aqua would love her."

"Star…" Marco said sternly.

"Yes, sweetie?" She batted her eyelashes.

"Your spell-food is not edible," Marco said deadpan. Star waved her hand and munched down on her food. Marco was going to slide his plate forward but Star's puppy-dog eyes made him relent, eating the glittery food. One hard bite and he winced at his teeth hurting. "...I'm getting a bagel." Marco took out a pair of scissors and _cut the very air around him_?! Riku stood up, eyes blinking in complete shock. The boy vanished into a blue portal, hopping out in an instant with five bagels for everyone. "Here ya go fellas." Marco tossed Riku and Kairi a bagel, with Star mouthing 'fine, but my food is better'.

"H-How can you make a portal with scissors?" Riku asked in shock, with Marco raising a finger up before pausing, rubbing his neck. "You can't answer…"

"Maybe later," Marco replied, munching on his food and patting Star's shoulder lovingly, making a bite out of her cupcake and giving a weak smile. She elbowed him and munched her bagel. Eclipsa looked at the two of them and her smile couldn't be any wider. Noticing that, Riku looked at Kairi, her expression equally conflicted at what to do next.

* * *

After eating breakfast and leaving the castle, the four were stopped by a short man with a beard. "Dad… You know these are my new friends." The small man sniffed Riku and Kairi, the keyblade wielders unsure whenever or not to summon their weapons. He stood up tall, coughing and holding his arms out. _You remind me of that Tarzan guy. _Riku thought to himself but was tackled by the man, giving him and Kairi a crushing hug.

"Ah, more _fine _warriors. Pumpkin you sure do pick some good friends. Care to join me on a _hunt_? I want to cook one those shadow things." The man said aloud, a clear fire in his eyes. Riku rubbed his neck, turning to Kairi to control the situation. She just shrugged her shoulders, making Riku sigh.

"You shouldn't eat a heartless, pretty sure it would taste horrible." Kairi gave Riku an almost mortified look. _I didn't eat any of them, maybe your master did, she was in the realm of darkness for decades. _This thought bothered him, but he quickly shook it off. "My name is Riku and my friend here is Kairi. We are here to help your daughter find something."

The man looked toward Star, them having a silent conversation with just their eyes. Seeing Star's downcast but somewhat hopeful expression, the man gave a weak smile toward Riku and Kairi.

"Don't worry River," Marco started, throwing his arm around River's shoulder. "We are going to find Moon sooner or later. We explored every dimension back and forth." River sighed, nodding in agreement. Seeing Riku and Kairi's somewhat confused expressions, Marco frowned. "Star's mom is missing and we've been trying to find her for a while. We thought Eclipsa might have done something but she actually had no clue either."

Star rubbed her arm, walking ahead in silence. Marco rushed toward her, taking Star's hand and the couple walking ahead of the group. River saw his daughter and, in his mind anyway, future Prince of Mewni, trying to figure things out alone once more. "Watch over them, please," River asked earnestly before going back into the castle.

"We don't know the full story," Kairi suggested, with Riku nodding in agreement. "I like our new friends, and this world seems really interesting." Kairi looked at the sky, her blue eyes locked on something Riku couldn't point out. "...My connection to Sora is strong here."

"So you feel that too?" Riku folded his arms, Kairi nodding in agreement. "Maybe we might find a way to _our _Sora. His older self sent us here for a reason after all." Riku smiled, with Kairi shooting one right back. The two rushed toward Star and Marco, the four ready to seemingly explore the kingdom's main town area.

* * *

In Radiant Garden, two figures were standing guard near the world's entrance. The woman with white hair fidged in place, trying to adjust her blindfold. "You should really take that off." The woman in pink suggested grip on her gunblade tight. "We need to stay alert, lucky those idiots were friendlies last night."

"I can see just fine Lightning." The woman with white hair spat back, her tone _far _from friendly. Lightning just scoffed, glaring daggers at the woman next to her. She couldn't pinpoint her issue, then again, she _is _an android. Emotions might be confusing for them. But her travels both from her home world that was lost to the darkness and her time in this one, showed her hearts can exist in anything.

Breaking her thoughts, however, was a young woman with red hair, walking around the town. Knowing her to be Ava, one of the three that crashed into the town, Lightning studied her. "State your business young lady."

She gave a weak smile, passing her munny pouch. "I sorta ruined part of the town." She pointed toward the crater needing of repairs. Lighting took the pouch, feeling it weight a hefty amount. "My dad made sure I had a lot of munny worst comes to worst. He built up a lot fighting heartless for decades."

"Ah, so you are battle hardened." Lightning smirked, studying the girl. Ava wasn't wearing her robes at the moment. Instead, she wore basic jeans with a pink top. Her feet had her favorite sandals however, not wanting to fully disregard her look just yet. "What of your friends? Aren't they awake by now?"

"I couldn't sleep." Ava sat down on some rocks, kicking her feet in the air. "Donald was yelling so much, he fell asleep on Goofy." She giggled, covering her mouth at the amusing memory. "Goofy just told me to leave before Donald woke up again. I _was _going to talk to a guy named Axel, but his friend Isa told me to give him some space." She rubbed her neck, lips twitching into a weak smile. "Guess he knew me from somewhere? I'm _sure _Hades didn't have my battles play across other worlds…."

"Hades?" Lightning asked in surprise, with Ava nodding. She wasn't smiling, rather, her lips were in a firm thin line. "So you are a real warrior." Lightning sat down next to Ava, uncaring of the white-haired woman's scathing look. "Keep giving me that death glare 2B. I can cut your body into pieces." 2B didn't say anything, walking off elsewhere. Ava was going to ask something but Lightning simply shook her head. "She's been having a nasty attitude the past few days. Won't tell me what's on her mind."

"Dad told me, always share with your friend's what's rattling up here." Ava tapped her head. "My siblings forgot that and…" Ava went silent, biting her lip and sighing. "Can't change the past, and all that…"

"So what are you doing here anyway?" Lightning asked, her blue eyes studying Ava's thoughtful green ones. Ava folded her arms together, mind in deep thought.

"I followed my heart, and wound up here." Ava tapped her chin, looking to Lightning. "Isn't that how you got here?" The woman shook her head, with Ava tilting her own. "...Your world."

"It's fine. I just miss my sister." Lightning said softly, grip on her gunblade ironclad. "Anyway, you should head off, I need to stand guard some more. If you want to visit the castle, I give you permission, on the condition you _do not _crash into anything else."

"Yes, ma'am!" Ava made a mock salute, making the usually stoic warrior smile. Seeing Ava scurry off deeper into the town, Lightning simply shook her head.

"I wonder if she's related to that Sora kid Leon always brags about." Lightning pondered aloud, joining 2B guarding once more.

* * *

**_7 - Nope, but what she does have planned isn't much better._**

_**redlox2 - Your point is an interesting one and something I really do like about the series. The Keyblade sticks with Sora for more than obvious reasons. His heart, not the ones shared with his, HIS own heart is just that strong. **_

_**Sentinel07 - Oh man, you will love the next few chapters :).**_

_**TaitanoRules555 - Good one-shot idea. Might toy around with that eventually.**_

_**Legionary Prime - Glad you love my story and can't wait to see what you come up with! Have fun and always feel free to use ideas/concepts you find are engaging. If you need any advice/help/etc, always feel free to PM me man.**_

_**prince of underbrush - Yeah, Marco is used to madness in his life. I can't wait to have Kairi and Riku tell him & Star about everything. I think even Marco would be like 'overkill much guys' and I would laugh. But yeah, Maleficent is a bit dumb to go after Star like this, but remember, Star has a powerful connection to the realm of magic (not sure if you watched S3 yet or not). So her connection to that realm, plus her own inner magic and Butterfly Form... Star is a powerhouse. There was a reason Xehanort wanted Terra (raw power) and Sora (experience and a lot of power) as vessels. **_

_**blackpackager - If you remember in Kingdom Hearts 1, you have three friends facing great trials. And in many cases, Sora AND Riku failed their goals in both games outside of Kairi being safe and alive once more. Sora isn't proud of this, more so of what caused it in the first place. So, he tells it to his students as a story, one that he doesn't want to fully detail to them (considering time travel and whatnot). **_


	21. Connections Reforging

_**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter. Sorry if this took longer than usual, was dealing with some personal issues. They are mostly resolved, so back to adventure once more! This is less of a 'full-on' chapter and more of a set up for the next few. You will see what I mean as you read this. Hope you all enjoy!**_

* * *

Shivering inside a nearby cave, nightfall fell upon the kingdom of Arendelle, making two teenagers huddled together for warmth. Ephemer breathed into his gloved hands, hoping they could generate warmth. _It should be summer here, right? _The Keyblade warrior pondered, his eyes darting to the girl next to him. Skuld was curled in a ball, huddled frame sitting very close to the fire she cast a half hour ago. "I'm sorry if camping up here wasn't a good idea." He rubbed his neck, it feeling naked without his red scarf. Seeing Skuld sigh in content, the scarf around her neck, made him feel a bit better though.

"It's okay," Skuld said in shuttered breaths. "My fault for waking up wearing only leggings under my skirt. Wish I wore jeans instead…" She shivered, shooting another fire blast from her keyblade, making Ephemer jump somewhat. "How the heck did we wake up _here _of all worlds?!"

"How should I know." Ephemer spat back, somewhat playfully but his tone was clearly getting annoyed with the situation too. Skuld bit her lip, looking away from him. "...Sorry, I'm tired too." He sighed, leaning on the wall of the cave. Looking around the small hovel the two friends called a temporary home, Ephemer studied the stone-covered walls and the distinct lack of snow anywhere within the cave. Just rocks and odd formations hanging from the walls. Folding his arms, Ephemer had his mind focused on something.

"You are wondering about that Sora kid, right?" Skuld asked, Ephemer making a weak nod. "I am worried about our friends too." This made him frown, both at how he didn't really think much about them upon waking up. The only things rattling through Ephemer was finding Sora and keeping Skuld safe. He even felt somewhat guilty only vaguely remembering his friends and Master Ava, his memory a bit cloudy after their home was lost. _Or was it lost… _He couldn't answer this though, giving up and looking at Skuld. "We will find them, buddy."

"I know, but we gotta get off this world first," Ephemer commented, with Skuld elbowing him. "You warming up to the snow? Thought you were cold for a second there."

She giggled pushing him to the ground and having a dangerous smirk. "You're plenty to keep me warm." Ephemer coughed, fighting off his blushing face. _She was never this forward back then… _Sensing his thoughts and clearly not caring, she hugged Ephemer and closed her eyes. "Till the night ends, you are my pillow." He was going to protest, saying how wrong this was. "Buddy, we are two best friends lost in the frozen wonderlands of a kingdom. I like this, even if I'm freezing my butt off. Let me enjoy before we become popsicles later."

Ephemer patted her back and they both eventually closed their eyes, letting their shared warmth fight off the harsh cold winds.

* * *

"So you really don't remember them?" Charithy asked Ventus, the two watching the stars shining brightly in the sky. He was surprised to hear Terra and Aqua asking him to leave the castle for a little while, clearly talking about something important. _Guess I'm talking about an important thing too. _The blond turned to his friend, rather, an old friend from a time he could barely even remember.

"I'm sorry, but I just don't remember," Ventus answered weakly, rubbing his forehead. If he was being honest, Ventus was just happy to be _his own person _again, let alone remember a past he wasn't sure was simply a fever dream or not. Unions, a missing flower, worlds in digital lands and a lost master… It felt convoluted, in Ven's mind anyway. But seeing his new friend, someone that really wanted to connect with him again, made him _try _to understand everything. _I have to, the least I can do. _Remembering Sora always throwing himself into an adventure without much warning or logic, he just smiled at the little Dream Eater creature, ruffling its furred head. "But I do recall the dreams. I was a union leader?"

"Yeah! You helped lead the unions after the first Keyblade War." Charithy started, with Ventus narrowing his blue eyes. _So I was in both wars? That's odd… So was having a dark twin filled with darkness, so what can I say? _Snickering at his thoughts, Ven laid on the soft grass, letting his friend tell the very familiar but also a new story to him. "Working with our friends Skuld, Ephemer, Laurium, Elrena and your best friend Brian… We were able to keep peace after the big battle." Ventus tapped his chin, honestly wondering why those names felt important. Specifically three of them.

"There was someone else, right? I… I feel like there was." Ventus sat upright, with Charithy hopping into his lap. His small eyes went downcast, making Ven tilt his head slightly.

"Yeah, she was Laruium's sister. We all looked for her, but no one found Strelitzia anywhere." Ventus frowned, his hand clenched in a fist for some odd reason. _Huh? I mean, I understand worrying about someone but why am I so angry… _Anger was an emotion Ventus was very familiar with, thanks to his brother Vanitias being a pest often on his first adventure. But this made Ventus think of the odd visions of Roxas' and Sora's lights. "Ah, so the mysterious ones are your type. Better not tell Laurium."

"A-Anyway," Ventus coughed, trying to fight off the strange blush forming on his face. "You said when that black coat guy left, that our friends are back." Charithy leaped out of Ven's lap, jumping up and down like a little kid. Ventus smiled, standing up and meeting the little guy at face-level. "So how do we find them?"

"Huh? We are going to look for them?" Charithy paused, his large head tilted in confusion. Ventus bit his lip, deja vu playing reminding him of his first adventure. _I'm not leaving without asking Aqua and Terra first. _Ventus said firmly, citing a clear lack of communication between friends being a major cause for the terrors they all suffered from decades ago. Sensing seriousness from Ventus, Charithy sighed. "You don't need to act all stoic. I know you want to leave this place and explore the worlds."

Ventus was broken out of his semi-serious state and blinked in surprise. "How did you know?" Ventus said, making Charithy raise his little eyebrow. "I-I mean, I was going to say exploring…"

"Out of everyone, you was the first to leap into action," Charithy said deadpanned, his somewhat cute voice being twinged with slight annoyance. "Come on, let's tell your parents we are going on a quest."

"They are my _friends_, not my parents!" Ventus argued, with Charithy letting out a good-natured laugh. _They are more like my brother and sister man… _Ventus wanted to say but just sighed. The two walked into the castle, finding Terra and Aqua staring at the seats. The very ones that their former master and _he _sat in. "...Guys? You alright?"

Aqua and Terra didn't reply, looking at the seats and hiding the deep frowns on their faces. Hearing Ventus' voice though, they quickly turned around and put a smile on their faces. _I can tell you were having a moment guys. _"Yeah, we're fine Ven," Terra answered first, meeting him and Charithy at eye level. "You guys want to have a sparring match?"

"Is that your go-to answer for everything, dear?" Aqua teased, with Terra's eyes twitching. Ven rolled his eyes while Charithy just looked dumbly at his paws.

"...I have no hands, just paws. I can't use a keyblade." He replied seriously, with the three going dead silent before bursting into a laughing fit. Not being acknowledged, the Dream Eater sighed and vanished, deciding to wait in Ven's room till they cut the nonsense out. Ven and Terra wiping tears away, Aqua's face grew more serious, reading Ven's more conflicted expression.

"What's wrong? If you were worried about us, we were just… Reminiscing about something." Aqua gave a sideways glance to the throne-like chairs across from them, her face almost forming a frown. "Want to get rid of those, one of these days."

"Well, I wanted your 'okay' if I could head out on an adventure," Ventus said boldly, making Terra and Aqua grow dead silent once more. Ventus folded his arms, unable to meet their worried eyes. "I know, we just got back together, happy as a family again. But I seemingly have a past, Charithy said as much. And my odd dreams…" Ventus sighed, looking at his shoes. "I feel like I _need _to find out what's going on."

"Let me come with you then," Terra said, putting a hand on Ventus' shoulder. "I failed you last time, but with me by your side, we can knock any heartless or unversed into next week." The two smiled at one another, their brotherly bond on full display. Aqua would tear up at this if she knew Terra would be joining Ven.

"You're asking us," Aqua gently prided Terra's hand off Ven's shoulder, taking Ven's hand and squeezing it firmly. "Cause you want to travel alone, right?" Ven nodded, his blue eyes having a very hard time meeting Aqua's. _She spent HOW long looking for my heart and now I'm just… _He grits his teeth, guilt gnawing at him. "It's okay, but know what we will be joining you the _second _danger you can't handle pops up."

"You serious?!" Terra shouted at Aqua, but her deathly serious blue eyes pinned him in place. "B-But what about what happened…"

"Last time, we weren't very wise." Aqua finished. They were silent, not bothering to counter the claim. "We have Gummi Phones for a reason. _Not _just to take pictures of everything." She gave a teasing smile to Ven, making the boy rub his neck awkwardly. Terra was going to snicker at the sight but Aqua wagged her finger at him. "Don't act like you are so innocent, _boyfriend._" She winked at him, Terra turning nine-shades of red. Ventus seeing the sight on display coughed, having a _very _hard time watching his best friends being romantic. _I wonder if I will ever be like that with anyone. _Aqua smiled, meeting Ven at face-level and pulling him into a hug. Terra joined as well, hugging his little brother.

"May our hearts, be our guiding keys." Terra, Aqua, and Ventus said in unison, giving one final squeeze before letting one another go.

"Now, you get rest tonight." Aqua ruffled Ven's hair, yawning herself. Seeing Terra and Ven giving teasing smiles, Aqua chapped her lips. "Well, I guess I need my beauty sleep as well." Waving the two off, she left the throne area, leaving Ven and Terra alone. After a few moments, Terra put both his hands on Ven's shoulder, giving him a serious look.

"Remember the power of our D-Links. And always stay in touch. And… And let me help out." Terra said weakly, his strong voice low. Ven hugged Terra again, making the older brother blink his brown eyes in mild surprise. His arms slowly touched Ven's back, pulling him into the embrace.

"I will be fine, trust me." They let go with Ven folding his hands behind his head. "Remember buddy, I had the _longest _sleep out of all of us. And I got the memories of two killer warriors rattling in my head." Ventus tapped his skull, making Terra shake his head in amusement. "I'll be fine." He was about to leave before poking his head out of the door frame. "Oh, and I know about the selfies you keep making for Aqua."

"G-Go to bed! You will understand one day!" Terra shouted, with Ventus laughing like an idiot. Terra sighed, a good-natured smile forming on his face. He was going to head off but paused, looking at the second thrown. He frowned as if seeing something. Walking out of the throne area, silence overtook the castle for the night, adventure awaiting a boy and his odd cat friend.

* * *

"You can't be serious, pal." Pete scoffed, his cartoonish arms folded and narrowed at a Mewman vendor across from him. "You're lucky I ain't stealing the pies from ya." He pushed a fist full of Munny at the Mewman, his pie hat nearly falling off. The short man looked at the munny, frowning and shaking his head.

"Nope, do not accept these…" He saw how shiny the Munny was. "Hold on, I just saw it sparkling." Pete rubbed his large eyes, annoyed at how stressful it was getting a _pie _to eat. Living off corn the past few weeks while his master was trying to get the princess to trust her, was annoying to say the least. Scoffing, he eventually just stormed off, yanking the two pies from the man's hand and throwing one of them into his big mug.

The large cat-man was unnerved at the odd looks he was given, but his eyes drifted to various slime monsters and more exploring the town. _Guess they aren't friendly with people like me. _Overhearing his master talk to the Queen of this dump, he figured that monsters and the humans didn't take kindly to one another. _Can't blame 'em. My fists are a force to be wrecking with. _Pete made a boastful laugh, earning annoyed glares from some Mewmans. "Oh come on! At least I'm wearing clothes. What are you punks wearing, rags? Some kingdom this is. I hate the rat, but even _he _clothed his people."

"Take it up to _her_ then, you idiot." One of the town's people shouted, turning around in a huff and storming off. _Whatever. _Peter scoffed in his mind. Being used to people hating him, he just figured that's how people are supposed to act. _Would be nice though if someone like me. _Sighing at himself, the large catman saw his master peeking from the bushes, rubbing her pale chin. "Hey boss, I stole ya a pie."

She saw the pie in his hands, giving him her usual 'I hate you and would kill you in a second insect' expression before sighing and taking a bite out of it. "...This is oddly enjoyable. Where did you find this, you idiot?"

"I found it from that vendor over there. They didn't even know what Munny was, ha! What backwater kingdom did we found ourselves in boss?" Maleficent just ignored him, her eye locked on the little butterfly on the pie. "Uh… You okay? Gone all quiet on me."

"Silence! I think I found something of interest." She took off the wrapping more, seeing a place called "Pie Island" at the bottom of the pie. "Well, what do we have here? My vessel's mother is found after all."

Pete heard some footsteps, his large eyes narrowing. He saw four figures, groaning in annoyance. "Oh fishsticks, the keyblade fools are here. What do we do boss?" Maleficent rubbed her chin, taking out her staff and waving it around.

"Remember when the brat told us about a lizard man that nearly ravaged this kingdom?" Pete scratched his head, clearly lost. "Doesn't matter, I have a _brilliant _way to keep them busy while we do them a favor."

Pete looked lost still but his master didn't care, waving the staff and black Shadow Bugs forming together, conjuring a figure out of a princess and prince's nightmare. Yellow eyes blinking, from the tall blob, they blinked before it's form cleared up. "Huh… So I'm still alive after all. Tell me, how do you know of me, Toffee. You can't be Eclipsa, you don't look like her." The lizardman looked at himself, clenching his fully-formed hands, no missing finger in sight. His large tail flicked as if adjusting to new nerves made up of darkness.

Seeing the man fix his suit jacket, looking oddly professional, his lizard jaw slowly formed a sly smile, seeing Star and Marco walking into the town. "I want…" He held up his hand, simply nodding as if he knew already. "Very well, your body can only last so long."

"Oh, I'm used to borrowed time." The lizard cracked his neck, conjuring a curved blade and walking to a bush to hide. He turned around, nodding at Pete and Maleficent before leaving their vision. The witch laughed, but Pete just gulped as he ran into the corridor she just conjured up.

* * *

**_prince of underbrush - Don't be sorry, cause I'm pushing this latest chapter super late :P. And Mewni is a really fun location, as it felt so fitting for a Kingdom Hearts adventure. While I am adapting elements from S3 and the opening of S4, I'm really toying with a ton of fun original ideas as well. Really happy with what I'm doing with Mewni in this fic. Aqua eating heartless is a mystery that I will not promise to answer ;)._**

**_blackpackager - Oh I think you will like this chapter. _**

_**Sentinel07 - Thank you!**_

_**redlox2 - Considering Ven's Spirit Friend is the original Dream Eater, expect them to pop up eventually. But not sure when exactly, so stay tuned on that. And Mewni isn't really that much of a confusing world; Star is a magical princess that has spells, Marco is her best friend/boyfriend, and the world is one chaotic mess of adventure and fun (with some serious stuff ofc). If you want to be cleared up on a lot, just watch the opening to S4 (which should be out on Demand in most places) and it should help. And I can answer any questions on the show via DM's. This applies to not just you but other readers as well. **_

_**TaitanoRules555 - Thank you!**_

_**7 - Glad I have your interest peaked ;). **_


	22. Shadows of Our Past

_**Well, I just came off watching the latest episodes of Star Vs' S4 and just scratching my head. I wonder why I called Star a Princess of Light now, but I realize that it's fitting for a big reason; Star is shockingly a blend of Sora and Riku characterization-wise. You scratch your head reading that but I think this chapter explains that point well enough. But boy, glad I'm not super attached to the show nor fandom anymore cause YIKES. Minefield as of this writing.**_

_**Before we go, want to recommend a few tracks for reading enhancement. **_

_**L'Oscuritá dell'Ignoto (KH Dream Drop Distance) and Wave of Darkness Wave II (KH 0.2 Fragmentary Passage/KH3) for a major fight scene. **_

* * *

Star paused as she was at the entrance of Castle Town. Well, it wasn't _called _that persay, but the fallen off sign in the corner made both the Princess and Marco just call it 'Castle Town'. Seeing Marco's knowing smile, Star sighed and put a hand on her hip. "I know, Marco, I will memorize the map like you did."

"I didn't say anything." Marco teased, elbowing Star, who gave him a playful expression. Turning around somewhat she saw a very lost Riku and Kairi, the former rubbing his neck as his eyes studied the town's people and the later feeling her hand itch for her keyblade. _You get used to my home's oddness. _She smiled, somewhat skipping as she looked over her home. Buildings slowly getting repaired was a nice sight, considering Meteora's attack was only two months ago. The town's people, consisting of poorly clothed people of all ages having somewhat annoyed expressions, didn't falter Star's seemingly jolly face not one bit. But in her heart, Star winced at what she saw. _I wish we could do better… _Looking at her right hand, she missed the wight of her wand, how much power it held.

_It wasn't easy giving up my birthright… _Star pondered, folding her arms and her expression now somewhat lost. Marco ran up beside her, as did Riku and Kairi from behind. The four continued walking but eventually paused near the local pie vendor. Star frowned at the sight, her blue eyes glaring at the short man behind the counter. Marco sighed, patting Star's shoulders. _This jerk lied to us. _Star wanted to say but choose not to, putting on a smile once more and leaning on the counter. "Hey buddy, I was wondering if you got some pies. My pals and I are hungry."

"Just because you are a washed-up princess, doesn't mean it's free." He held out his hand, bruised face and ego were clearly evident. Star was going to argue but Marco slapped down 650$, making the man take the money and count it. "Oh, since you two gave me _such _a lovely tip…" He slid over the four pies, leaning forward and his eyes darting around. "Keep an eye out for a cat man. I didn't like him."

"Cat man?" Riku spoke up, gently pushing aside Star and Marco. "Pete, right?" The man shrugged his shoulders, making Riku sigh in annoyance. "Well… What did he want from you?" Kairi walked a little closer, her head looking behind her to see if anyone was watching. Narrowing her eyes, she slowly turned around and faced the little man.

"Just pie, like you guys." He said in an annoyed tone. "Look, get your food and leave." He shewed them off, with Star making a 'huff' sound and walking ahead with Marco. Kairi mouthed 'thank you' while Riku just nodded at the man. The four walking around town once more, Riku bit into his pie and smiled.

"Where do those things come from?" Riku asked, taking another bite, wiping his face with a sleeve. "This is pretty good." Kairi bit into her pie, nodding in agreement. Star turned around, walking backward and wagging her finger.

"From a place called 'Pie Island'. It's filled with con men that Dad hates." Marco shivered, frowning at something. "Marco and I found the place while looking for Mom, but we found nothing. To think, a monkey could fool you like that buddy…" Star gave Marco a side-eye, looking somewhat playful but also annoyed.

"Come on!" Marco waved his hands in the air, angrily munching a piece of his pie. "Not my fault the little guy was so convincing." Star giggled at his antics, making Marco relent and shove his hands within his hoodie pockets. "...But you feel something off here?"

"What do ya mean?" Star asked, turning around and walking face-first once more, biting from her pie. Marco's brown eyes looked focused as if part of him was more aware of something. "I mean, the town's a dump, we are still fixing things."

"No, you feel something…" Kairi walked ahead, patting Marco's shoulder and her blue eyes boring into his.

"...Watching us, powerful darkness. Right?" Kairi asked, with Riku blinking owlishly in surprise. "Surprised you didn't pick up on it. You can still smell darkness, can you Riku?" The boy smirked before it quickly fell and his hand summoned his Braveheart.

"I felt it, but didn't know why it was following us." Riku looked at his weapon, grip on it ironclad. "Be ready for anything guys." The group nodded, but Star bit her lip, her hands shaking. _T-They felt him too? I don't know why he could be back but… _Star patted her cheeks, putting on her battle face and summoning her magical mace. She followed her friends and they paused, seeing a large little show seemingly on display. "Excuse me, what is going on here?" Riku asked someone ahead of him, but he got no answer.

Star and Marco saw the stage, disarming their weapons and frowning. "Not this again…" Riku and Kairi raised their eyebrows before a loud cough got their attention. They saw the curtains open, seeing an oddly overweight version of Star bumbling around.

"It is me Star Butterface!" She was 'flying' in the air on plastic butterfly wings that a child could have made. Next to her was a very animalistic version of the king they bumped into, his clothes completely off save for a loincloth and him making growling sounds. "Daddy! You want to play fetch?" He barked like a dog and 'Star' threw a drumstick into the crowd, the man jumping after it and landing on a man by mistake. Everyone was laughing, but Star and Marco. Riku and Kairi were silent, but Star could tell they were completely lost on what was happening. _Wish I could be like them… _"But where is ma boyfriend Marcy? Marcy come out!"

"Duh…" A skinny boy came on the stage, his body shaking like a leaf. Marco twitched at this, Riku seeing a flicker of darkness somewhat coating his hands. "I'm Marcy Darcy, the boyfriend of Star Butterface! Look at me! I can fight!" He shouted, his voice sounding like a hillbilly and him falling right on the ground after making a karate chop, everyone laughing.

"I'm gonna _kill _them." Marco hissed, his keyblade itching for action, but Star just squeezed his shoulder, silently telling him to calm down. _I want to rip them apart too, but we can't. _To the couple's lack of surprise, another figure walked on stage, a dashing prince in red armor bowing to 'Star' and 'Marco'. "My god…" Marco covered his face, anger gone and replaced with annoyance.

"Why, if it isn't Sir Marcy the Duffus and fair Princess Star." He leaned on one knee, taking 'Stars' hand and kissing it. 'Star' made a grossed out face and patted the prince's horns. "I am baffled why you choose my best friend as your suitor, but I understand your decision, fair princess. For I, Thomas Lucitor the Third, understand the heart is a hard thing to process." Riku tapped his chin, having a feeling this 'Thomas' character isn't right. Kairi rubbed her forehead, equally annoyed with Marco right now.

"Go away Tommy! I got a _better _boyfriend! One I had fun with sooooooooo much when we were together!" 'Star' shouted, hugging and kissing the horrified 'Marco' endlessly. Loud boos were uttered and even the odd tomato was thrown at the stage. 'Thomas' continued ranting about how much he loves his friends while 'River' pranced around like a mad dog. Riku leaned toward Marco, giving him a somewhat worried look.

"This needs soon, right?" Marco just sighed, throwing his hood up. Riku mirrored him, making Marco raise an eyebrow. "Why not copy you? That guy clearly is." The two boys saw 'Marco' throwing up a battered hood from his torn up hoodie. Marco let out a dark laugh, sighing at Riku's poor joke. Star wanted to laugh with her friends, but simply _couldn't_. Months have passed since the great battle. _I've given up so much for this stupid kingdom and THIS is the thanks I get? I… _She wanted to cry, tired of seeing this play happen daily. _I want… I want… _

"Then do it." A voice whispered into her ear. Star paused, her body shutting down. "You remember who I am. The first darkness you've ever destroyed. Or did you?" Star felt tears coming down her face. Her body felt wet like she was drowning in black liquid once more. "You have it in you, girl. End them." Star clenched her fists, eyes closed shut, trying to focus on her surroundings. _He's dead, Star. He's dead… _"What are you waiting for?"

"YOU ARE DEAD! SHUT UP!" Star screamed, shooting a powerful golden ray from her fists, them nearly blasting the stage and making everyone grow deathly silent. Marco even stumbled back, surprised seeing Star so shaken up. She only got like this when… Marco's eyes went wide, rushing to her side and summoning his Keyblade. His free hand touched her shoulder, Star's body shaking violently. "Toffee… He's not alive, he can't be…"

"What the…" Riku was going to say but clapping got the four's attention. Everyone, even the town's people, saw the sight for their very eyes. A green lizard fixed his suit jacket, his right hand wielding a curved blade tightly. His shoes were neat and well kept. Few strands of hair on his scalp in pristine condition. The only part of his suit that was messy, was a hole-sized tear on his suit. "Who are you?" Riku asked, readying his Braveheart for combat. Kairi swiftly stood by his side, summoning Destiny's Embrace.

"You two are new." Toffee narrowed his cold eyes, but he simply let out a light scoff. "Call me, Toffee. I was defeated by your friends." Toffee hand his hands folded behind him, dark eyes watching Star as she slowly got up, her face getting enraged. Her blue eyes held a firm fear, something Toffee smiled at. Kairi looked at the lizard, her mind flashing to a dark time mere months ago…

* * *

"So… You think you can beat me?" Xehanort laughed, his party-complete X-Blade firmly in his hand. Kairi was standing tall in the Station of Awakening, the man before her dead-set on using her to complete that horrid weapon. "Girl, I challenged far more powerful foes. And you aren't even stronger than a Nobody." He shot a ball of darkness at Kairi, the novice Keyblade Wielder rolling away from the attack.

She grits her teeth, wincing at her battered body. Avoiding and blocking his strikes after Xemnas captured her annoyed Kairi to _no end_, being the damsel once more. _Never again. _"I won't let Sora suffer!" Kairi shouted, leaping in the air and landing a powerful strike on Xehanort. The man took the hit, but it had no effect, he just merely cast Cure on himself. Kairi blinked, her body exhausted not having any magic left. "Why… Why are you doing this." Kairi asked, leaning on her weapon and trying to charge up another Holy Light attack.

"Since you are going to be part of this, I figure why not tell you." Xehanort made a light chuckle, one that made Kairi's freeze in horror. "I destroyed countless lives, trying to bathe the world in the light it so needs." Kairi would have laughed if she wasn't so scared right now. "I need this weapon complete." He pointed right at Kairi, a beam shooting out of the X-Blade in an instant. Kairi held her keyblade defensively, using what Merlin taught her. "What's one more life? Besides, your powers as a princess of heart could be given to a much more suitable host."

Kairi couldn't block the attack anymore, her keyblade vanishing and her body being struck with the light. Memories flashed before her mind, rapidly at the speed of light. Sora… Riku… Her friends… Her mind went to just the other night, giving Sora the papu fruit and them promising to protect each other. "I'm sorry…" She said with the last ounce of her strength, letting the light and darkness overcome her.

* * *

Toffee was shocked at Kairi launching herself at him, the lizard quickly blocking her strike. "Like hell are you going to hurt my friend!" Kairi shouted, tears in her blue eyes. The lizard merely blinked, keeping hold of Kairi's attack. Riku shot a dark firga blast at Toffee, sending him flying toward a nearby rock. "Riku, we have to beat him."

"I know, but you okay?" Riku asked earnestly, seeing Kairi's tear-stained face. She gently pushed him back, giving a thankful smile. Star slowly walked up to Kairi, the two exchanging a knowing look.

"You aren't laying a hand on Star _ever _again," Marco said darkly, his grip on his keyblade so tight, his hands were white as snow. "How about I stab your heart instead of punching through it this time, hmm?" Toffee fixed himself, standing up and wiping the dust off his suit jacket. He just gestured the four to come at him, Star cracking her neck and holding out her right hand.

"Narwhal Blast!" Star shouted, shooting a surge of the creatures at Toffee, the lizard effortlessly dashing and attacking them away, leaping in the air to land a strike on Star. Marco lept in the right in time, blocking the attack and using his magic to emit a weak pulse from his keyblade, making Toffee land on the ground. Marco smirked at the sight, with Star fist-bumping him. The two held hands, Star shooting magic with her free hand and Marco attacking with his keyblade hand. They fought Toffee head-on, the lizard having a hard time blocking and attacking the duo. They slid back, with Riku and Kairi leaping in the air to land a cross-slash on the lizard. He bearly dodged it, but even with his darkness-clad body, he still felt the pain from each strike.

He held out his hand, making various Shadow Bugs appear. Seeing the unimpressed faces from his foes, Toffee smirked, snapping his fingers. On a dime, they transformed into shadow versions of various versions of Ludo's minions, Buff Frog, and even another girl. Marco grit his teeth at seeing the girl in particular, the girl giving Marco a twitchy smile and throwing her skateboard at him. Marco sliced the thing in half, the object landing on the ground revealing a broken heart was the board's bottom. It made various hissing sounds, but Marco just closed his eyes, slashing the girl with a well-timed combo. He couldn't open them, unable to stand the idea of hurting an old friend.

Star meanwhile, was fending off Shadow Buff Frog, his various claw strikes and heavy punches hard to block. Star didn't want to hurt the shadow, but getting punched in the face made her mad. "Crystal Heart Dagger!" Star shot a barrage of razor-sharp hearts at the shadows, ending a lot of them on the spot. Riku and Kairi saw the hearts ravage a short bird man, said bird man giving a weak sigh before turning into dark mush. Shooting a thumbs up to Star, the four huddled together, more shadows of former allies and friends circling around them. "Odds? I don't think they are in our favor."

"Come on Star." Marco punched a shadow version of a cheerleader in the face. "We've faced worse, right?" Star let out a weak grin as Kairi and Riku used their magic to cast Reflect and Cure spells. The shadows paused fighting, Toffee frowning and snapping his fingers. They all retreated, huddling together and forming a tightknit ball. The shadows turned into a Demon Towers, moving around like a makeshift tornado. Marco turned to Riku and Kairi, seeing their horrified expressions. "We are in trouble, aren't we?"

"Yep." The two said in unison, Riku leaping into the Demon Tower head-on. He tried landing some blows into the tower's core but harsh winds of darkness prevented anything more than a three-hit combo from landing. Kairi shot various magic spells, even triggering her Holly Light Formchange to super-charge her magic attacks. All that accomplished was give Riku an opening for some careful slashes.

Marco looked at Star, the two seeing the intense darkness around them, simply nodding at one another. Star closed her eyes and focused, letting her inner magic flow. Slowly, her body turned a radiant gold, massive golden wings popping from her back and even her dress turning a golden color. Star's extra sets of hands were summoned, them together to focus on a powerful beam of magic. Giving Marco a knowing nod, the boy smirked, rushing into the Demon Tide and leaping in the air. Star shot a powerful golden ray into the sky, Marco leaping inside it and holding his keyblade forward like a reaper. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Marco shouted, hoping Riku and Kairi heard him. The two leaped away, letting Marco charge into the Demon Core, his body twisting like a power drill. He shot through it after a few seconds, Star's powerful light nearly engulfing it.

Marco gave his friends a weak thumbs up as he slowly fell toward the ground. Star shot toward Marco like a speeding bullet, catching him in her six arms and hugging him tightly. "You never do something that crazy again, you hear me?" Star said jokingly but her star-shaped eyes clearly appeared worried. Marco kissed her cheek and she dropped him like a rock. "What am I going to do with you…"

"Maybe not kill me for starters." Marco teased, jabbing his keyblade into the ground to help himself up. Riku and Kairi were at awe, seeing the Demon Tower reduced to a mere bunch of heartless. A tired sigh got the group's attention though, Toffee folding his arms and rubbing his forehead.

"I didn't want to _actually _die, you know." Toffee slowly took off his jacket. "I wanted to live long enough to see that witch win." Star tilted her head in confusion while Riku and Marco gave a dark glare at the lizard. Kairi just stood guard, keyblade and Holy Light Formchage still activated. "But, sometimes, time calls for drastic measures. Oh and Marco?" Marco raised an eyebrow. "You aren't a disappointment anymore. Star, however, is a major one."

"**Like I care,**" Star replied, her tone mixing her own voice with one of an angel of death. "**Prepare to die for good, Toffee.**" Toffee let out a weak laugh, his body slowly dissolving and reforming into something much larger. Something Star's Butterfly form completely fizzed out seeing. "N-No… You can't be like this… Not here…" Star was on her knee, trying to stand tall. Toffee towered over the four, his form coated in a magical black liquid. Marco helped Star up, with Riku and Kairi glaring at the creature. Riku recalled Ursula growing massive and the various forms of Xemans and Ansem he fought, his mind not nearly as worried compared to Star. Kairi's eyes went wide, but her grip on the staff was firm, pointing at the monster.

"Light!" Kairi shouted, skating on the ground like a dancer, beams of light escaping her staff like nothing. Riku shot Dark Firga blasts into the holes Kairi was making, hoping to find some opening. But Toffee's new form just kept shifting away from their attacks, making the two wince. A wave of the liquid came their way, with Marco using what he remembered from his sixteen-year adventures. He mumbled something in demon, a weak barrier coating himself and his two friends.

Star took some deep breaths, seeing Marco hold his own so bravely, made a spark in her heart get lit. Turning into her Butterfly Form once more, she cast Shadow Blitz silently, five copies of herself flying behind her. Giving each of her shadow copies a knowing nod, they split off, flying in different directions while Star dashed to her friend's side. Making a golden sword appear in her hand, she sliced the waves of darkness, the stars in her eyes glowing a dark golden. If it wasn't for how much light she was emitting, Riku could have sworn they looked golden like _his _eyes. Kairi joined Star, using ice magic to make platforms, making herself get higher after some double jumps. Standing before Star, the two gave one another a boastful smile, shooting light magic at the dark form of Toffee. Star's shadow doubles shot rays of light as well, with Riku and Marco shooting a sealing beam of light from their keyblades.

Toffee couldn't do anything anymore, his dark form slowly getting covered in bright light. Everyone was blinded, making Star and Kairi fly into Marco and Riku's arms respectively. The town's people that stuck around slowly got out of their hiding places, with the light vanishing. All that was left of Toffee, was a single eyeball. Star slowly got up, seeing it and nearly jumped out of Marco's arms. Blasting golden light at the object, not even in her butterfly form, she kept shooting beam after beam. For a good two minutes, Star just shot at the seemingly harmless eyeball, hoping he was dead for _good _this time. Seeing nothing but mucky dirt, Star let out a nervous laugh, only to be crushed in a hug by Marco, Kairi, and Riku. They didn't say anything, just let out nervous laughs of relief at this dangerous darkness finally dealt with.

* * *

Sora was walking with Strelitzia through the narrow streets of Shibuya, making casual chit-chat with Yozora and his band of brothers. But he couldn't really focus, not when something was rattling in the back of his head. Closing his eyes, he saw Vanitias pacing around in the Station of Awakening. "...How come I see you? Normally it's only within…"

"Darkness in you is strong, I dunno, don't care, I'm leaving for a bit." He opened his palm out, making a corridor of darkness and Sora grabbing his wrist. "What, miss me already?"

"Just what are you doing?" Sora asked, letting Vanitias go and folding his arms. "I don't mind you doing your thing, but I'm no idiot. You _are darkness_, brother." Vanitias rolled his red eyes at the comment. "We are on the same page here, what's going on?"

"I found a way to reach Kairi and Riku," Vanitias replied, turning around and heading into the corridor. "I will explain how when I get back but D-Links are good brother, try and form them. Maybe you could make more friends that way." And with that, Vanitias was out of Sora's head for the moment.

Opening his eyes, Sora opened his hand and saw a sticky note of all things. Strelitzia paused, noticing it and reading it aloud. "If you are missing a keychain or two, my bad brother. Hate You, Vanitias." She gave Sora a raised eyebrow but Sora just smirked, resting hands behind his hand and walking as if nothing happened. She shrugged her shoulders and resumed following Sora once more.

Sora just hoped the demon kid Vanitias referred to earlier isn't having a hard time, but another question popped up in his head. _What is a D-LInk?_

* * *

Deep in the firey kingdom of the Lucitor's, was demon prince Tom, sitting on a beanbag chair sipping on a corn snake. The boy was at a loss lately, unsure _how _to even talk to his best friends again after all that romantic drama. _Should have come with Starship and Diaz to look for Moon. But I would just be the third wheel. _Tom sipped his drink obnoxiously, uncaring about the many voices in his head voicing complaints. _Having all these souls rattling in my head sucks sometimes. Maybe I should have kept up with those Demoncisms. _

Now _that _was an experience, trying to better himself just to win the heart of Star once more after learning Marco just _let _her leave Earth like that. _Glad he came around, but boy, him not acting fast enough hurt everyone. _Tom sighed, putting his drink down and chapping his lips. Standing up, Tom slowly walked up to a picture, a recent one he took with Star and Marco. They were possing at a beach, with Tom having an episode with his emotions. Apparently, having some heartache can make a demon sick. "Dad never dealt with that, then again, his heart is a black pit of darkness." Tom chuckled, brushing his fingers over the photo's frame. They were so happy together as a unit, Star and him seemingly patching up things. What made Tom the happiest, was Marco throwing his arm around his shoulder. _Glad we really are bros again. _

Sighing to himself, Tom bit his lip at a memory gnawing at him...

* * *

"You did _what_?!" Star shouted at Tom, her sea-blue dress on full display was Tom and Marco gulped looking at one another. "Y-You know about the kiss, and you didn't say anything?!" Marco raised his finger, but Star's blue eyes pinned in place, warning him to say anything. _This isn't fair. _Tom stepped forward, his three eyes looking at Star with disdain.

To think, a fun trip to the Lava Lake House was tarnished by an overactive princess? _Not my fault Mom was upset about you lying behind my back. _Tom thought bitterly, clenching his fists recollecting how fast the day went to crap. Holding back his father from unleashing literal hell toward Marco after the 'act' of him hugging Star triggered the half-demon and his mother having a clear stink eye toward Star the entire day, not saying a single word to her. Even after putting out the little fire trolls ruining the meal she was cooking for the family. Then the less said about the lava storm, the better... The trio was now hiding in a cave, hoping the weather will cool off _before _they end up killing one another.

"_You're_ the mad one? That's rich, considering I'm the one sulking the past month since that battle." Tom folded his arms, deep breaths releasing from his nostrils to avoid anger from reaching a boiling point. _Already there. _Tom thought darkly. "I... I accept that you like Marco. I always sorta knew." Star's blue eyes were less cold, shining with a hint of guilt and shame now. "But why didn't you just... _Talk _to me? I thought you cared about me, Star."

Star looked at her boots, seemingly unsure what to reply with. Marco rubbed his arm, his brown eyes looking at Tom's three eyes with some shame. _I'm not mad at you. _Tom gave Marco a sideways glance with his third eye. _You've done nothing but been a good friend to Star and I. This is between us bro. _Seemingly picking up on Tom's unsaid words, Marco sighed and left the cave, but not before giving Star a worried expression as he walked off. "I... I'm sorry." Star finally looked up at Tom, her face teary-eyed. Tom just held out his arms, the princess throwing herself into them.

"I'm not mad, just hurt," Tom said softly, rubbing her back. The sensation... The smell... He wanted to enjoy this, but he _couldn't_. Not when this situation mirrored that stupid Silver Bell Ball. Star was an emotional mess and after their big fight, they dance with one another and had fun. _But I was too late. _Tom said to himself, almost in a bitter manner, quoting one of his favorite Love Sentence songs. Feeling the past few months flashing in his mind, including that horrid battle that was just dealt with, he started crying himself. _I'm not losing you or Marco again. _He held her tight. _Not to danger, or to my stupid actions. _

* * *

_**Loser… **_"Masked kid? What do you want now?" Tom spat aloud, the voice ruining his trip down memory lane. **_I'm tired of the emotional crap. _**

"Well, I am too." Tom sighed, folding his arms. _**You have a ton of spirits here… How do you keep control? **_Tom tapped his chest and smirked. _**Ah, demon heart. Clever. But I need your help. I don't have much time see, going back to my body soon and… **_

"Then do your crap yourself man, not interested." Tom threw himself down on his bean bag chair and started reading a magazine. _I wonder if Justin Towers is going to marry that girl or not… _He flipped through the pages and his eyes froze upon something. "Wait a minute… Why is a news report here? It should be on just music." He groaned, realizing Marco left his 'Mewni Report' papers in his room again. _Come on Marco… _He looked through it anyway, bored beyond belief. But his eyes caught something. "What is this black witch? I never heard of her before."

_**That's why I'm asking for your help idiot! **_Vanitias shouted, making Tom cover his ears. Even his demon tail whipped the ground from the displeasure. _**Your ex is going to be possessed by that lady. I need to reach her and my brother's friends before they face her. **_Tom bolted up, his three eyes wide from the news. Clenching his fists, he was going to storm out of his room and find his friends, but the castle shook.

"Master Tom!" A large overweight man opened the door quickly, Tom's self-help coach Brian having a panicked expression. "You are needed by the castle gates, someone is attacking us. Also, you owe me money for the past five months of…" Tom rushed past him, uncaring of his comment. Rushing down the castle halls, he ignored the blood-red coloring everything had and pushed the front door open, seeing the witch from the magazine and oddly enough, a cartoon-ish cat.

"Uh, Boss? I think we found the demon kid." Pete pointed at Tom, the later glaring daggers at the duo. Tom let flames alit his hands, ready for anything. "...I think we should leave the punk be. He looks kinda mad."

"But we _need _his rage. That fire in his demon heart for the brat would make great bait, don't you agree?" Maleficent slowly walked toward Tom, but he shot a pillar of flames into the ground. _**Focus man, she's immune to fire. **_Vanitias stated, making Tom grit his teeth. _**I got a better idea, but question; you've wielded swords before? **_

_I've used reapers in sparring sessions with my dad, why? _Tom thought to himself, surprised actually talking to one of the souls in his body. Vanitas laughed as Tom felt something appear in his right hand. Tom looked at his hand and saw an odd-looking weapon, the Void Gear's chains and dark colors matching Tom's own ripped tee-shirt and jeans. "Another one?!" Maleficent hissed, with Tom looking at the witch and grinning.

"I guess you aren't a fan of reapers lady." Tom charged into the witch, ready for a brawl of a lifetime.

* * *

**_blackpackager - Interesting suggestions... Will ponder on that. _**

_**TaitanoRules555 - Between my lack of attachment to the franchise (Egad!) and the fact world choices are already picked out, not promising anything on that one. **_

_**7 - Oh yes, very cool indeed.**_

_**H.R.C. Stanley - Never saw that theory you mentioned... Well, not promising it's gonna be touched on in the story but I do like that idea, more so considering Namine was in the same place as Ava (theoretically) in KH3's Final World. **_

_**prince of underbrush - Pretty sure you are going to love this chapter man :). And your points about Ventus... You will see what I have planned for him. **_


	23. The Sleeping Dragon Awakens

_**Okay, so we are close to the end with things on Mewni. Just one more chapter after this one and things are gonna move on to focus on other characters (particularly Master Sora, Ventus, and others). This and the following chapter have very emotional moments I felt are things I always wanted to touch on. **_

_**Recommend for the first scene you play 'Devil Trigger' (Devil May Cry V) and the final scene you play 'Cavern of Remembrance' (KH2 Final Mix) for a major moment in the final scene. Review responses below as usual, with a bit of an author's note as well. **_

* * *

Fireballs from the lava lake below Lucitor Castle's drawbridge hopped up and down as Tom lunged at Maleficent, the dark queen using her staff to block the attack. A powerful surge of some burning red fire was coating Tom, making his strike have a heavy impact. Pete downright flew off somewhere, being out of sight from the battle at hand. Tom jumped back, landing on the balls of his feet, holding the Void Gear with a tighter grip. _**Good job. Though you used too much power for that. **_

_Didn't expect your weapon to have so much punch kid. _Tom thought, spinning the Void Gear around before gripping it again. Seeing his foe though, her yellow eyes glared a deathly expression, one that screamed 'You are going to die', but this only made Tom sigh. "Lady, you are barking up the wrong tree." Tom fixed his posture, readying the Void Gear for some more attacks. "I'm a demon prince and have pretty strong friends. Sooo, just give up now, kay?"

"You pompous demon scum!" Maleficent shouted, her body erupting in dark green fires. Tom kept his battle stance, Keyblade pointed forward and his free hand glowing a purple fire. "Time I showed _what _you are trifling with!" She pointed her staff toward Tom, a powerful rush of flames heading his way. Tom used his free to launch a fire pillar on the ground, using it as a platform to launch high in the air. He avoided the attack, but it seemingly was _following _him, the green flames shadowing his moment. _**Try using the darkness to escape. Just hold your hand out and let me do all the work. **_Vanitias suggested. Not wanting to lose some souls today, Tom held his free hand forward, a corridor of darkness appearing before him. Landing through it, Tom careful landed right behind Maleficent, the dark witch confused how he pulled off such a move. _**Ah, you have ALOT of darkness in you. Why don't you use it more often? **_

_Because it hurts people. _Tom thought bluntly, turning around and making a careful three-strike combo attack on Maleficent. He finished his strike with fast forward jabs and powerful thrust, making Maleficent stager. _Now! _Tom stomped his boot into the ground, his voice muttering in demonic chants. Various skeletons showed up of all shapes and sizes, Tom pointing forward and the creatures rushing into his foe.

Tom heard Vanitias whistle in amusement as Maleficent was shewing off the bony creatures with her staff, her screams making him laugh evilly. _...You have problems man. _Tom thought deadpanned, using his demonic magic to heal his wounds.

_**No, I'm perfectly fine. Darkness is what I am, so some more 'fun' emotions come out from time to time. **_Tom rolled his three eyes, his third eye going wide at Maleficent practically exploding into a burst of green and black flames. Gone was her seemingly old-lady form, only a massive black dragon in its place. _**...What the hell is that? **_

The dragon used it's massive wings to fly into the sky, it's silted green eyes looking at the nearby demon town with intent. _Oh no, you don't witch! _Tom used his own magic to leap in into the air, slamming his keyblade into the dragon's back. It nearly fell out of the sky, now hovering over the ground. It hissed in pain as Tom landed on it's back without any grace whatsoever. _How does Marco do this… _The dragon made a mighty roar, trying to shake Tom off, but he clung to the dragon like a cat, his demon tail even wagging somewhat feeling a playful excitement come over him. Feeling Vanitias laughing at him, Tom hissed to himself 'shut up' as he kept his grip. The dragon took off to the skies once more, Tom holding on for dear life.

The dragon simply couldn't get the demon off her back, deciding to dive head-first into the lava lake. "You** insan**e lady?!" Tom and Vanitias shouted, their voices echoing on top of one another. Tom would have reacted to this if he wasn't afraid of _really _losing his souls today. Seeing a nearby riverbed, Tom struck the dragon's wings, darkness emanating off them. Knowing how demons hate one thing, Tom figured this would work… Closing his eyes, he tried thinking of a spell Star used, his mind diving into her memories and more. Holding out his hands, he shot a narwhal right into the wing of the dragon, the narwhal's horns making tears into it. The dragon couldn't stay airborne anymore, freefalling into the riverbed.

Tom jumped off right before it crashed into the soul-infested water, landing on a nearby patch of golden red-ground instead. Rubbing his head, Tom got up slowly, seeing the dragon _still _move around like it's wings didn't get violently ripped apart. _Okay, time to channel my bro then. _Tom rushed into action, memories of Marco's fighting monsters with Star and him playing on loop. Ignoring his keyblade completely, Tom magic-infused punches and kicks to attack the dragon's body as it dashed toward him. He avoided every strike like nothing, practically dancing with how careful he was moving. Avoiding a claw swipe, Tom twisted around before making a horizontal strike with the Void Gear, the dragon hissing in pain.

_**This isn't getting us anywhere. **_Vanitias commented, his tone clearly annoyed. _**...Let me take over. **_Tom shook his head. _**Look, I fought things like her before. You really don't… **_

"Not when I let my anger ruin things in the past," Tom said firmly, his three eyes turning bright red. _**Oh, afraid of pissing off your ex. Aww, that's so sweet. No wonder she dumped you. Being a pansy and all that. **_Tom felt his body get hot, anger clouding his vision. It was hard to keep his cool, grip on the keyblade shifting from one hand to both his hands clenching it like a bronze sword. _**So you do have a backbone, just like hiding it. **_

"SHUT UP YOU JERK!" Tom shouted to seemingly no one, even making the dragon confused somewhat. "S... No, _I _don't want to act like this ever again." Vanitias took a peek into Tom's memories, trying to pull a 'Sora' as he called it. Seeing everything Tom went through, or rather, why he was so afraid to embrace his anger…

_**Okay, you're right. **_Vanitias said with annoyance. Tom kept his hold on the keyblade. _**Think of it this way. When can you vent your anger at your princess cheating on you with your best friend? You have a punching bag RIGHT BEFORE YOU. **_Tom narrowed his eyes at the target, letting his fingers grip the keyblade tighter as the dragon was getting another fire breath going. _**Unleash your darkness! **_

"Ahhhhh!" Tom shouted, his voice completely demonic as his body was completely covered in flames, his feet charged with intense hellfire. Leaping high into the air, he shoots a series of Purple and Red flames at the dragon, it hissing in pain from the attacks. Looking at the ground, he snapped his fingers, various skeletons and Unversed creatures appearing out of nowhere. The former were using their own body parts to attack the dragon, while the Unversed, using their small stature, just jumped on the dragons wounded wings to prevent take off.

Tom landed on the ground, letting his anger fully take control. Dark flames coating the Void Gear, he flicked his hand and felt another weapon land within his free hand. Landing powerful dual strikes with the Void Gear and Fallen God, green blood was oozing from the dragon at this point, Maleficent slowly turning back into her humanoid form. Her body was shrinking at this point, large dragon body losing its thickness and scales. Tom didn't care, just keeping his offensive. Each strike a powerful memory played in his mind.

**Thud. **

Star breaking his heart for the very first time on a failed date years ago.

**Thud. **

Blood Moon Ball completely falling apart and Tom losing his dance with Star.

**Thud. **

Marco coming back to Mewni and Star being oddly friendly with him.

**Thud. **

Tom and Marco nearly killing each other over Mewni's version of Christmas as Marco called it.

**Thud. **

Tom hearing from his own best friend, that he kissed his girlfriend behind his back.

**Thud. **

Tom felt his rage completely subside, huffing exhausted breaths as he looked at the mangled form of Maleficent before him. Her body was kneeling on the ground, her robe in tatters and part of her horns actually chipped. "Y-You… You will _suffer _for this act, child."

"Make **me.**" Tom and Vanitias said in unison, Fallen God gone and only Void Gear left in Tom's right hand. "You will **never hurt **our friends." Vanitias was surprised how fast he sided with Tom, but his memories reminded him so much of Venny's and Sora's but actually having some edge to them. It made the being of darkness, have some empathy if he could stomach admitting to that. To both of their surprise though, a large force tackled into them, making the two land into the lake of souls. Tom blinked at this, not worried one bit; his demon body prevented souls from possessing it. Now if _Marco _drank this… Vanitias laughed for a hot second at a memory Tom shared with him. But they quickly swam up to the surface, seeing Pete hold Maleficent with deep worry in his eyes.

Looking at Tom, he glared at the demon, rushing off and leaving behind weak heartless creatures to prevent further chase. Tom was going to follow them but Vanitias sighed. _**I… I don't have long here. I'm going back to my brother soon, so we need to find our friends. Fast. **_

"Fine…" Tom muttered, swimming back to land, he shook off the water and looked at the heartless before him. "Boo." He shouted in a demonic tone, making the creatures vanish like nothing. "Wow, they are nothing…"

_**Tell me about it, my Unvesed put up more of a fight. **_Vanitias said smugly, making Tom tilt his head in slight confusion. _**Anyway, you need to hold out your hand and think of Star. I will try to think of Kairi, maybe that might lead us to them. **_

"She's your special someone?" Tom asked aloud, making Vanitias scoff. _**No, she's my brother's light. His name is Sora by the way. **_Tom nodded and focused on the positive memories of his friends. A portal of fire and darkness appeared before him, making Tom smirk to himself. _**Lead the way, loser. **_

"You're a loser too, hitching a ride instead of coming on your own." Tom retorted, making Vanitias sigh, wondering why he's being so friendly to this kid.

* * *

Hopping out of the portal, Tom's three eyes were wide as dinner plates; the Castle Town was in complete chaos. Buildings were broken apart, the stage housing a weekly theater act was ravaged and even his favorite corn shake place was broken up. _**That's the thing upsetting you? And people say I'm cold… **_Tom rolled his third eye at Vanitias' comment, walking ahead and seeing various town's people, Mewman and Monster, helping one another. _Chaos is bringing people together… Reminds of me of Meteora. _Tom bit his lip, recalling the horrid battle not too long ago.

Vanitias peeked into Tom's memories of this, a surge of confused emotions coming over the darkness. Seeing the demon valiantly fighting alongside Marco and their friends, carrying the lifeless body of Marco, and offering Star shelter in his domain to avoid the conflict… _**You are a good guy, still a pansy though. **_

"Thanks…" Tom mumbled, shoving his claws into his pockets, part of him wishing Vanitias would just shut up already. His three eyes Star and Marco, working with what Vanitias pointed out to be Kairi and Riku, helping a family up and healing them of their wounds. _**There she is! **_Vanitias pushed Tom to run forward, the demon not remotely arguing. Star and Marco were taken by complete surprise by the crushing embrace of a teen demon. "Starship! Marco! You guys are alright!"

"Yeah…" Marco said weakly, his body still battered from the fight earlier. Star just gave a genuine smile, closing her eyes in peace. Tom let the two of them go, the three looking at one another with intense relief. "Would you believe that the shadow blob things I told you about, formed together and brought Toffee back?"

"...Not really, but with Starship around, anything is possible." Tom elbowed Star, hoping for a weak laugh or snarky smile, but instead, she just nodded, smile earlier gone. _**Niiiiiice. I can see why she dumped you. **_Tom felt the urge to strangle himself for some reason but shook it off. "Star…" He put a hand on her shoulder, Star's eyes locked on her boots. "Was that really…"

"Y-Yeah." She mumbled, not attempting to hide any emotions. "I can't believe he came back, I destroyed him!" Star shouted, making Marco and Tom back away somewhat. "I… I turned him into goop! Ludo crushed him with a pillar! Even dad kicked his eye away... " Star hugged herself, blue eyes downcast. "Even my magic is that messed up, not finishing a job…"

"Doesn't matter though." Riku butted in, walking up to the three. Tom studied Riku and the girl next to him, Vanitias' having a surge of emotions dancing in Tom's head. _So she's YOUR special one too. Hope your brother doesn't mind. _Tom teased, but Vanitias didn't even replay, his spirit or whatever Tom figured he was made off just feeling content. "You tried your best Star, that's what matters." Tom blinked, his and Vanitias' thoughts put on hold for the moment. Riku looked toward Tom, rubbing his chin. "Your… Tom right? Marco told me about you."

"I'm sure it was nothing but positive things, right bro?" Tom smirked toward Marco, the boy giving a weak grin while shrugging his shoulders. Tom slouched forward, his third eye twitching. "Of course you had to bring up the 'love drama' to them, didn't you?"

"I sorta asked, so my fault." Kairi interrupted, making a weak giggle. She held out her hand, with Tom shaking it. The moment he touched her hand though, she pulled away. "S-Sora? How are you…" She covered her mouth, with Riku raising an eyebrow. Kairi closed her eyes, her body actually shaking somewhat. _**My turn. **_Tom's body twitched somewhat before the demon's three eyes turned a shade of red. Kairi opened her eyes, seeing Vanitias' eyes and having a weak smile. "So I finally meet you in person… Somewhat, Vanitias."

"Huh? This is Tom…" Star was starting to speak but Marco held up his hand, giving 'Tom' space. Vanitias gave a nod toward Marco, before turning back to Riku and Kairi.

"I'm not your friend." Vanitias' voice said through Tom's mouth. "But he's okay. I'm keeping the idiot safe, princess." Vanitias smirked, with Kairi having a somewhat of a relieved smile. Riku just folded his arms, narrowing his eyes. "Oh, I'm not at _all _like Ansem, Riku was it?" Vanitas sent a toothy grin to Riku, one strikingly similar to Sora's. "I'm less of a force trying to possess someone but more like…" He tapped his… rather Tom's chin. "... Right, a shadow that follows you around. Not _really _doing anything, but always around, you know. Kinda like the darkness, you reek off."

"...Okay." Riku said bluntly, his body losing its tension. Kairi just hugged 'Tom', the demon blinking. "Kairi, that's not Sora, it might not be…"

"He's with Sora and maybe… Maybe he can share how much I love Sora." Kairi interrupted, 'Tom' slowly hugging Kairi back. He enjoyed the embrace, Vanitas uncaring of how his form was slowly fizzling away the longer he was around her light. Kairi eventually let go, 'Tom' having a toothy smile. "You have to leave now, huh?"

'Tom' fell on his knee, holding up his hand to ensure his friends he was fine. "Yeah… But keep this." He passed Kairi a keychain, a pink-like star object attacked by a silver chain. "Roxas shouldn't mind you using his weapon from time to time. After all, Sora was the first one to use the keyblade." 'Tom' slowly got up, letting out a tired breath. "Star." The princess looked toward the group, confused Vanitias or whatever he was, knew her. "Demon… Tom really cares about you. Darkness is _oozing _out of him, but he keeps it in check. Be careful with him, same with your boyfriend, okay?" Star dumbly nodded, with 'Tom' letting out another tired sigh. He then fell to the ground, Tom rubbing his forehead feeling a headache coming over him.

"Should we… Have you do another Demoncism?" Marco asked, trying to lighten the mood. Tom just stood up, giving him the nastiest stink eye he could muster. Marco then snorted out a laugh, with Tom giving his best friend a weak smirk. Star helped him up, giving the demon prince a warm smile of her own.

"I know the place is in pieces, but maybe we should get a corn shake." Tom suggested, with Star and Marco nodding in agreement. He turned toward Riku and Kairi, gesturing them to join. Riku nodded, with Kairi walking ahead, looking at the keychain in her palm.

Her mind, looking at the object, reminded her of the lucky charms Sora always had. "He never let go of them… Even in death." Kairi muttered to herself, catching up seeing her friends ahead of her.

* * *

Kairi was walking ahead of the group with Star currently, the duo ignoring the very chatty boys behind them. They just left the remains of the corn shake shop, the owner giving the five on-the-house drinks for saving the village. Kairi sipped her lemonade shake, oddly tasting no corn whatsoever. _Maybe it's like what Sora told me about Little Chief. Though whenever I asked about what ingredients he got for him, Sora clammed up. _Kairi giggled to herself, making the oddly quiet Star form a small smile. "Thinking about Sora, huh?"

Kairi's face flushed a slight red, answering Star. The later sighed, her head looking toward Marco behind them. Kairi turned around too, seeing Riku laugh hard at something Tom and Marco were saying. _They are… Talking about music? Riku did like the moody stuff back home. _Kairi's lips twitched a smile. "I remember one time where Sora and I 'borrowed' one of Riku's CD's." She leaned toward Star's ears. "He's a fan of the Jonas Ducks." The two princesses' giggled. "And we sorta broke one of them…"

"And I used my darkness-fire to make sure you guys never touched my stuff again," Riku replied, overhearing the girls and giving a weak frown. Marco and Tom just shook their heads.

"The amount of time I tell Star to _not _steal my hoodies…" Marco gave a pointed look at Tom. "And the less said about the missing game controllers, the better _bro_." Tom just whistled like the angel he was.

"What about the time you barged into my room without knocking, Diaz?" Star formed a devious smile. Everyone paused walking, Kairi laughing hard. _Oh my… _Riku's eyes twitched in annoyance as if he remembered something similar happening to him and Sora. Tom just gave Marco a dangerous smile, his eyes vaguely having a shine of red.

"Want me to tell Tom about the 'shower' incident?" Marco countered, with Tom's third eye locking on Star. Marco raised an eyebrow, mouthing 'Not so innocent yourself'. Riku and Kairi looked at one another, swearing they were looking at other versions of themselves and Sora right now. Then they both started laughing, Riku nearly falling on his knees and dropping the chocolate corn snake he was drinking. Tom and Marco then made weak laughs, while Star just sighed in relief.

"Enough fun guys, we gotta head back home." Star pointed ahead toward Butterfly Castle, with the group nodding in agreement. Star paused for a split second thought, giving Marco a flirty smile. The boy's face turned nine shades of red, the two seemingly communicating on a wavelength no one else understood. Tom just shook his head and walked onward, with Riku and Kairi just shrugging their shoulders at the situation at hand.

While the remainder of the walk was pretty quiet, Kairi did notice her new friends talking to one another, and her earlier thoughts on them continued to play in her head. _I don't know which is her Riku or her Sora… Both have traits similar to them. _Kairi tapped her chin, pondering deeply for whatever reason. _Glad I didn't have nearly the amount of drama Star faced though. _Many references from Eclipsa, Marco and even this Tom fellow indicate the trio before she had a major 'love problem' at one point or another.

Kairi tried wondering if she wound up in a similar situation but she shook her head, knowing Sora loved her and Riku was just the overprotective big brother of the group. _And even if he did like me, he has Nanime now… Who is my sister that was a part of me? _Kairi started feeling her head sizzle. _Less I think about things, the better. _Riku just kept looking at Kairi, the later turning toward him and mouthing 'what's up'. Riku just shook his head, a knowing smile on his face as he whistled a tune, walking at his somewhat on-guard pace.

Sighing to herself, Kairi just looked ahead, her heart feeling danger ahead. _But I'm feeling the darkness from Eclipsa, she's okay. _The moment they got closer to the castle's entrance, Kairi paused, seeing two odd faces. They didn't wear masks but what _did _make them stick out, were their keyblades. Kairi elbowed Riku, eyes looking between the two before her and him. Riku narrowed his eyes, flicking his wrist and summoning Braveheart.

Kairi mirrored him and was going to warn her new friends… But they ran ahead, Star and Marco looking ready to fight them head-on. "What are _you two _doing here?!" Star shouted, making a pink mace appear in her hands, with Marco summoning his keyblade. Tom just rubbed his neck, confused at their reaction to normal-looking robed people.

"Starship… They just look like our friends behind us." Tom commented, pointing toward Riku and Kairi catching up to them. Invi and Gula looked at the five teens before them, breathing a sigh of relief. Alongside the two odd keyblade wielders, was Eclipsa and a girl with long bushy green hair. The girl ran toward Star and Marco, giving them a crushing hug. _Hugs are popular around here. _Kairi thought in amusement, with Star and Marco hugging the girl back. Tom just waved hello casually, though the girl didn't notice.

Gula rubbed his chin, studying Marco and his keyblade. "So _that's _another reason the master sent us here sis." Gula tapped Invi's shoulders, the foreteller noticing Marco's weapon. "Marco was it? Sorry if we attacked you guys earlier. Our… Mission wasn't exactly clear."

Invi actually bowed, showing some guilt in her green eyes. "We are masters, warriors of light. We had no idea we were attacking a fellow Keybearer." Star, Tom and Kelly just looked at Marco like he was an alien. The boy simply rubbed his neck sheepishly, holding up United Bonds, letting his fellow Keyblade Users study the weapon. "Please, let us train you once the darkness is clear of this land."

"...You don't have to speak like a sage Invi." Gula commented, his tone the less serious of the two. Invi just glared daggers at Gula, silently telling him 'we have to be professional'. Kairi just looked at the two, seeing… They weren't that much older than her and Riku. _Maybe… Around 20 or something. _Kairi thought to herself, walking up to the two. Finally taking notice of Kairi and Riku, their eyes went wide, as if they saw ghosts. "Huh… So _that's _what the Masters…"

"Princess Kairi, correct?" Invi asked, her tone less serious and more excited. Kairi smiled, nodding and holding out her hand. "I have much to teach you and Master Riku." Riku held up a finger, wondering how they knew his and Kairi's name. "Come into the castle, where fewer eyes are watching us."

"Okay, time out," Tom uttered, getting the ever-growing group to look at him. "I'm beyond lost right now. I had some evil kid possess me, I used one of those key things and can't summon it anymore, some old hag is trying to hurt Starship and everyone can just yank a keyblade out of thin air!" Tom waved his hands, his expression screaming 'this makes no sense'.

"Yeah, that's about right," Riku replied, making Tom slouch forward. "I'm pretty sure you can summon one now Tom, just hold out your hand and think. Vanitias most likely bequeathed you, even if he didn't mean too." Kairi just looked at Riku, surprised how… Wise and calm he was. _Tom's right, our lives are confusing. _Kairi decided to accept.

"Ooookay." Eclipsa, who everyone just noticed was outside the castle as well, said loudly. "How about we all just head back inside. Could tell you all had the most exciting day."

"That isn't the half of it." Star and Marco said in unison, their bodies beyond exhausted and walking ahead of the pack. One-by-one, everyone went into the castle, but three people. Riku and Marco stood before Eclipsa, deep frowns on their faces.

"What's the matter? You look awfully serious all of a sudden." Eclipsa asked her voiced laced with worry itself.

"We just fought Toffee again." Eclipsa's face turned ghostly white at the lizard's mention, Marco looking toward Riku to continue.

"The darkness in this kingdom is strong, and not just within you and Star." He looked at Marco. "And even you Marco, your darkness is stronger than you realize." Marco blinked, biting his lip as if he was in agreement with that statement. "It's a good thing we got those Masters and Kairi with us, or we would be in _major _trouble right now." Riku clenched his hands into fists, darkness seeping off them. "Did you teach any dark magic to Star?"

"No…" Eclipsa looked away from the boys, her eyes trying to mask something. Marco looked to Riku and nodded, making Eclipsa blink. "I never…"

"I know Star better than anyone." Marco walked ahead, anger clearly evident on his face. "If _you _didn't teach her then that _witch _did." The boy walked into the castle, leaving Riku alone with the Dark Queen.

"...Let's get ready for tomorrow, not sure what's going to happen." Riku finished, walking into the castle and leaving Eclipsa to just look at the skies, slowly shifting into nighttime. Her eyes spotted a glowing red moon, one of her hands rubbing a gloved arm.

* * *

"Mmm… Now that was a great pie lady." Pete said in utter bliss, rubbing his rather large belly as the wooden chair somehow kept him up. The large cat-man was now on Pie Island, somehow making the _right _corridor of darkness for once. _Boss lady would be proud… _Pete's eyes drifted to the sleeping form of Maleficent, her body shaking under the covers. Gone was her black rope and instead was a black night a kind baker lady offered them. "Though why did ya help us?" Pete asked the obvious question, rubbing his oversized chin in wonderment.

Humming a very soothing melody, Moon was getting the final pie out of the oven ready, wanting to use it for a big contest tomorrow. "I just felt it was the right thing to do." She put the large pie on the table, Pete's mouth already watering. "No, this is not for you." Pete frowned, with Moon just sighing. "You remind me of my husband River, who is away for some reason…"

Pete frowned hearing this, realizing quickly that their target has a clear case of mild amnesia. _That's just great, how can we learn more about the brat like this? _Pete pondered, but an evil idea hatched in his mind. _Though I shouldn't do this, even boss would… _Then he paused. _She has no heart anyway. _Smiling earnestly, putting on his best 'friendly face' expression possible, he leaned forward. "I know how we can repay ya kindness."

"Oh posh, you don't have to," Moon replied, a mother's smile firmly on her face. "I've helped all kinds of strays the past few weeks. Though part of me _is _missing something…" She tapped her chin, looking at the pie on the table. It's butterfly-crust bothering her for some reason, her face forming a somber frown.

"I just know what you're missing. A rugrat, right?" Pete asked, with Moon turning around quickly. _I gotta ya now. _"We were actually looking for this princess, see?" Pete dug into one of his many pockets, holding out a picture of Star, Marco, and Tom posing near a building. "Those two napped your daughter and we were fighting em." He pointed to the seemingly sleeping form of Maleficent. "Demon boy is the reason my pal is out of the count."

"Oh dear…" Moon covered her mouth, though her face seemed distant, blue eyes looking at Pete as if he was lying. "But, my daughter wouldn't hang around riffraff. She always had that Marco fellow protecting her." She sighed, holding the picture in her hands lovingly. "I always thought they would be together one of these days. I made a bet with my husband about that, don't you know?"

"Sure… But what if he _fell _to darkness?" Pete suggested, having a knowing look on his face. Moon folded her arms, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Where I'm from, there are these things called heartless, see? They come from the evil in people. We actually… Are the law for them." Pete folded his arms smugly, eyes closed enjoying his answer.

"...You are lying." Moon stated, her hands glowing a faint blue. "Where is my daughter." Pete gulped, eyes nervously tapping his fingers together. Moon slammed the table. "**What did you two do?!**" Pete yelped loudly, taken off guard by how strong Moon's voice suddenly became, though loud enough to wake up Maleficent.

"What's with the racket you imbecile…" Maleficent slowly got out of the bed, but a weak magic blast from Moon made her roll into battle position, staff summoned. Turning to Pete, her expression screamed bloody murder.

"Found the girl's ma but she doesn't want to come willingly." Pete honestly, making Maleficent raise an eyebrow. Instead of fury, Maleficent just had a dark smile.

"Well, so a motherly dispute, is it?" She asked innocently, looking at Moon, sensing the former queen's magic dying down. "I can take you to your daughter, on the condition you offer shelter and bed for myself…" Pete looked at her pleadingly, wasn't given any attention whatsoever. "Go outside, you are a cat. Pets don't sleep indoors." Pete growled, mumbling curses under his breath as he left the little bakery shop Moon seemingly called home.

Pete walked toward a nearby log and sat down, looking up at the sky. Rain slowly came down and he hissed in frustration. "I work my tail off to help ya and this is my thanks!?" Pete shouted at the door, ignoring the green and blue lights coming out of the windows. "Oh, Petey is just the joke. Oh, look at the cat man, punching things and ordering heartless around." He slouched forward, his mind getting tired enough to start seeing faint visions.

He saw his past-self talking to a young Mickey, the little lad only wanting to see the world and help his friends. _When you weren't so annoying. _Pete thought somewhat joyfully, remembering the mouse continued to get more attention. And even saving their land with the earliest version of the heartless, odd blob monsters _Mickey himself _wound up creating. _I still remember when the rat told me to dump that brush into the deepest pits. _

Pete sighed, letting the visions end and just reflecting on what _he's _been doing with his life. Donald and Goofy, the later he considered a former friend at one point, did heroic things for many years. _Gotta say Goof, you really did get a backbone after all this time…. _Pete shook off the rain and stood up. _...All I did was hurt people. _Pete frowned darkly, looking at his reflection in the water. His eyes drifted to the bakery shop, seeing the greens and blue still glowing. _...Maybe it's time I cope ya Mic. Even though I'm late on the welcome wagon. _

Clenching his fists, Pete rushed into the bakery, seeing Maleficent blasting Moon relentlessly with her dark magic. "Submit to me you fool! You have darkness in you!"

"N-Never…" Moon coughed weakly, her form never losing its light. Pete narrowed his eyes and closed them. He tackled into Maleficent, shoving her against the wall. Using his large hands, he pinned her in place. What shocked him was how surprised she looked. "Pete?"

"Don't worry lady, you can skedaddle, gotta make sure my pal here doesn't do any more harm." Pete gave a good-natured smile. "Thanks for the pie, make some for Goof will ya?" Moon nodded, even though she had no clue what he was talking about. Rushing out of the bakery, Pete still kept his master in place. "I think we stop this evil business, don't ya think?"

"Y-You, of all people, are turning on _**me?**_" Maleficent's voice was genuinely hurt, her furry mixed with strong sadness of all things. Pete bit his lip, refusing to move an inch. "...I saved you, from that dimension your _friends _threw you in. Like _trash_."

"Yeah, and so what?" Pete spat back, his hold on her getting tighter. "All I am to you is that fool." His normally cartoonish eyes shined a sense of seriousness, something she _never _saw from him. "The bumbling idiot that dances around like some _clown _on a tricycle. Sure, I got some darkness in me. And I'm the jerkish punk of Disney Castle, but that doesn't change what _we did_." Pete's voice grew darker, his form actually emitting darkness.

"Oh, so growing guilty are we now?" Pete kept his glare. "And what, you will just 'turn good' and everyone will forgive you? That's _rich_."

"I don't care if they forgive me," Pete said clearly, making Maleficent flinch. "I… I will go back to that dimension if it means doing the right thing finally." He finally dropped her, the dark witch glaring at him with furry no one has ever seen. "Go ahead, do your worst." Pete cracked his neck, his eyes fearful but confident. "I got a mean right hook."

Maleficent's eyes looked watery, shaking them off before unleashing a hellish scream. The village of the pie kingdom saw a pillar of dark green flames erupt, stronger than any magic Mewni as ever seen. Moon watched this from the distance, her body shaking as she tried turning into her butterfly form. "Mewni is in danger… From something even _worse _than…" She couldn't finish, only keeping her pace.

* * *

_**...Yep, you read that ending right. And no, what you are thinking is dead wrong. When something sticks, something sticks. Anyway, really happy with what I made in this chapter and I wanted to clear up some things that Pete mentions. The 'blob creatures' are the Ink-Blots from 'Epic Mickey', which is something I will bring up again as the story continues. Mickey isn't that different from Master Sora and other 'troubled' heroes in the story. **_

_**Now, the story going forward post 'Episode Mewni' is going to be a bit more focused. You may have noticed a larger focus on this world compared to the Tangled and Pirates visit, and for both situations, I felt I could have easily either expanded or made it a lot more 'welcomed' into the KH content. For stuff going forward, expect Mewni-level attention with every Disney world I bring into the mix. **_

_**Anyway, **_**_TrinityXaos made new art for the story! I will be updating the author page with his colored version of MoM soon enough, but please give his Deviantart page a look if you have the time. And I want to take a moment to also highlight a few specific KH stories and authors. If you want a very focused 'Kairi Lead' adventure, read 'Oathkeeper's Awakening' by KeywielderAnima. It's very engaging as of now and feels remarkably in-character. _**

**_And for specific authors, In a Quandary's 'To My Heart's Other Side, An Epitaph' and Prince of the Underbush's 'Kingdom Hearts 3: The Long Journey' are reads you should check out. The later was a huge inspiration for this project and the former is honestly a very emotional 'what if' situation. Faulty Paragon's works isn't anything to overlook either, as he has a lot of great connecting one-shots with our favorite Sea-Salt Family._**

* * *

**_NOW we move on to review responses fellas. _**

_**7 - Yep.**_

_**prince of underbrush - Canon with any franchise is hard to play around with when it doesn't comply with our stories or ideas. I know this first hand being a Star Vs fan. It's been a tooooon of fun, but you get used to it. For our heroes though, they faced great trials and a major one is coming up VERY soon. **_

_**blackpackager - Keep up with your mini-story things, they are... Always a delight to be confused by :'). But for your thoughts on Tom, I figured D-Links could be a great way to bring Vanitias into the mix without getting Sora too involved with the Mewni plotline. **_

_**TaitanoRules555, **_**_Sentinel07, H.R.C. Stanley: Thank you, thank you and glad you like my world pick :). _**


	24. Eclipse of the Final Day

_**Remember when I said this would be the last chapter on Mewni? Well, it's taken so long to actually get any writing done, I'm splitting this 'final chapter' for Mewni into two/three chapters. But you will be very surprised at what I'm pulling here ;). **_

* * *

"Where am I?" Star said aloud, getting off the glass beneath her feet. Standing tall, she looked around the dark sky, not even seeing the faint stars nor the red moon bearly shining through the darkness surrounding her. Looking at her arm, she was surprised seeing… Multiple arms. _Why am I in my Butterfly form? _She thought to herself, feeling the large silk golden wings gently moving on their own. Walking on her golden boots, Star tried piecing together just _what _this odd world was.

_**Tonight your world may end. **_

"Okay, I'm not down for the creepy voice, okay bub?" Star folded her three sets of arms, having an expression not in the mood for riddles. The voice ignored her, continuing despite Star's comment.

_**You must be ready. **_

A flight of stairs appeared out of nowhere, leading to a large white door in the distance. Star shook her head, flying toward the door, landing gently on the ground and kicking the door open. A powerful light blinded her vision, leading…

_**You act like you're ready.**_

Star blinked as her vision cleared up, eyes wide like dinner plates at the sight before her. Mewni was in ruins, powerful green and golden fires covering everything. Various Mewman's and Monster's alike were hiding behind tattered buildings. Some were just lifeless on the ground, as Heartless were gnawing at their unmoving bodies. Star would have fallen on her knee if it wasn't for her wings, keeping her afloat as if nothing was going on around her.

_**But you are too late. **_

Star felt her vision fizzle as if static took over her entire world. The scene changed on a dime, with Star seeing a black hooded warrior, not too much older than Marco, using an odd key to defend the unmoving body of Kairi.

_**You can change fates, princess of light. **_

The black hooded boy fell on one knee, holding his key-weapon to block an attack. The one attacking him was…

"Stop it, Marco!" Star shouted, rushing toward him at lightning speed. A loud 'bang' erupted across the battlefield, Marco's odd form clearing up in Star's eyes. He donned a tattered red hoodie, his pants torn from the knee down. His shoes were even torn as well, his toes sticking out. Star's body was nearly paralyzed at the dark, yellow eyes glaring at her. "Marco…"

"I… I…" Marco's eyes shifted to their brown coloring for a split second, tears coming down them. "I… Can't control… The darkness… Please… Run…" Marco's eyes turned golden yellow, the boy making a deafening scream. "RUUUUUN!"

Star grabbed the black-hooded boy and Kairi, taking them far away from Marco before he was covered in darkness. His keyblade vanished from Marco's hand. Star felt an added weight on one of her free hands, seeing the fabled object within her grasp. "S-Star?" Kairi asked, coughing. "You… _We _have to fight. For our friends."

"Come on girl, we need to get patched up first." Star refuted. The boy in her arms gave Star a weak grin before holding up his weapon, making a healing light coat her and Kairi. "Woah, thanks."

"N-No problem…" The boy couldn't finish, his form vanishing, light particles gently flowing into the breeze. Kairi looked visibly unnerved, her blue eyes crying bitter tears.

"Not again…" Kairi mumbled, hugging Star in a vice grip. "Sora… You aren't _gone _again… You can't be…" Star couldn't respond as the scene shifted again, her falling down, butterfly form gone.

_**Protect them. The Warriors of Light. Your brethren. **_

Star looked at her two hands, the keyblade still within her grasp. It wasn't Marco's anymore, replaced with a vivid shade of red, coating nearly the entire body. The only parts that weren't bright red were the handle, having a pink and purple coloring to it. And the blade's teeth, having a bright yellow star, surrounded in a circle, not unlike her wand. Star noticed a dangling chain, lifting the blade to see a cute little keychain, it being of herself and Marco holding hands. "United Lovers…" Star said aloud, her free hand brushing its thumb over the cold steel.

_**Embrace your destiny. **_

Star stood up, proud and tall. He surroundings shifted, feathers erupting in a gust of wind surrounding her. She looked beneath her feet, seeing the mural once more. Taking notice of it, Star was surprised to see how it changed. Instead of her golden form holding Marco lovingly, pictures of her friends surrounding her, it was different. Now, it was of her, eyes open fiercely and Marco standing right beside her. The kingdom of Mewni was in the background, mainly Butterfly Castle. The circles containing her and Marco's friends were still present, but three more were added. Kairi, Riku, and some spiky haired brown haired boy present.

* * *

Star slowly opened her eyes, but only darkness was in her vision. "Huh?" She tried saying but only a muffled voice escaped her lips. "Hey!" Star tried moving her body around, oddly heavy weight on her body. Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes and shouted 'Exploding Leech Bomb!" But instead, a bright light overcame everything, Star free to move around once more. Her blue eyes went wide, seeing her room tattered and ravaged; posters were ripped apart, her various clothes scattered about and even her secret closet door wide open.

Fear took over the princess, nearly gliding out of the bed into the closet, looking for something. Digging through a pile of junk, a pile Star knew better than the back of her hand, she found nothing. _No… _She covered her mouth, part of the old Book of Spells gone. _If she found that… _Star remembered a horribly put together party she helped Eclipsa tried pulling, inviting other kingdoms over to get better support.

But that went south _fast_, with only the Spiderbites giving their support upon hearing Eclipsa showing them the frozen form of Globgor, her monster husband that was frozen in crystal. _A crystal that only the book of spells can break… _Clenching her right hand, Star finally felt the odd weight she's been carrying the last minute or so. Her eyes looked at the object in hand and… "I have a keyblade? How did _that _happen…" Star stood up, giving the weapon a few practice swings. "Mama loves ya." Throwing the weapon over her shoulder, Star saw various heartless crowed up in her room, giving a threatening smile. "Come on! I can take you cuties!"

The shadow bugs twitched, slowly backing away before lunging right at Star. She slid to the right, avoiding five of the creatures. Making a careful spinning-slash, she took down a few of the shadow bugs, thought a couple jumped on her back. Rolling on the ground, they were flung in the air, with Star blasting two large Narwhals at them, making the creatures vanish in a puff of smoke.

She quickly rushed to her star-purse, throwing it over her shoulder and bolted out of the room. Looking down the nearest hall, she saw a figure fighting off a Large-Body Heartless, it's large belly blocking a black-hooded boy's attacks. Star dashed over to help him out, shooting a basic fire spell from her keyblade's tip. "Thanks… Thanks for the save." The black hoodied boy painted, falling on his knee and taking a deep breath. "I didn't expect to be summoned like this…"

"No prob." Star held out her hand, with the boy taking it. Taking in his features, he had oddly spiky brown hair and his clothes were a mixture of reds & blacks. "Name's Star, and woke up to a bunch of those heartless attacking me."

"So this is the castle Yozora was talking about…" The boy tapped his chin, making Star tilt her head in slight confusion. "Never mind, didn't know his fiance was so young." Star giggled at this, elbowing the boy.

"Marco isn't marrying me silly, we are just dating." The boy just looked confused now, but he didn't let his confusion last long, the heartless charging into him and Star. "Before we kick their butt's what's your name?"

The boy just smiled, his toothy grin helping Star relax. "I'm Sora. Got experience taking these guys out!" Sora charged into battle, landing a three-hit combo with his Kingdom Key, making the Soldier Heartless stumble backward before falling. Sora flicked his keyblade, making his clothes change into his black-hoodie. Star seeing Sora leap and land explosive impact with his keyblade, felt inclined to one-up the boy.

Star used her magic to leap into the air, using the keyblade to shoot a beam of golden magic right at the heartless beneath her. Two of the heartless were outright destroyed, with the Large Body just taking a ton of damage. Star landed before the shadow, using her free hand to summon a Narwhal and slamming it into the heartless. The Large Body pushed back, Sora finished the job with a well-aimed Firga spell.

Various hearts now floating in the air, Star and Sora let out a sigh of relief. "You've fought them before… How do you have a keyblade?" Sora asked, making his vanish for the time being. Star just lugged United Lover's on her shoulder, dashing ahead. Sora kept pace, a firm look of worry on his face.

"I don't know, woke up from a dream and heartless were all over me. I literally rolled out of bed and started fighting." Star said in slight annoyance. A shadow bug appeared out of nowhere, but Star carelessly slashed the bug away. "I don't know where Marco or my other friends are, but they should be in the castle still."

"All I know is that I heard Kairi call for me and…" Sora paused his running, looking at his hand, giving it a hard glare. "...I don't know how long I can stay here." He clenched his fist, feeling a surge of power come over him. "You know if Kairi's in this world? Or who she is?" Star's heart marks glowed, feeling this situation super romantic. "Uh… You okay?"

"Oh my gosh… You are _her _Marco!" Star hugged Sora, the boy blinking in confusion. "I heard a lot about you, being a hero and saving worlds. Marco and I see all kinds of cool stuff but lately…" Star held out her keyblade, giving a weak grin. "This key and heartless junk have been giving us a headache."

"Considering how you woke up before…" Sora gave a grim frown, patting Star's shoulder and looking ahead. "We have little time. Your world might…"

"...End." Star finished, with Sora nodding. "Alright pal, we got friends to help and a world to save." She made a battle cry as she slashed and spun through heartless like nothing. Sora just shook his head, wondering how this is even possible. Figuring he's here thanks to something that Vanitias pulled, Sora just grinned inwardly, not wanting to waste this chance at coming home earlier than he ever expected.

* * *

"Ugh…" Vanitias groaned, slowly getting off the rain-covered ground of Shibuya. He looked at his hands, seeing fingerless gloves instead of his pitch-black ones. His pants were short jeans, black with red stripes. His shoes were large like a clown, expect just black instead of a goofy yellow. "What the hell is going on?!"

"You're okay!" Vanitas was tackled in a hug from Strelitzia, her two long strands of red-ish hair covering his vision. "You just suddenly passed out a half-hour ago, with Yozora and his friends going ahead, tired of waiting..." _Of course, the jerk would do that… _Vanitias spat, giving Strelitzia a thankful smile. Though she backed away somewhat, seeing bright red eyes on Sora's face instead of his blue ones. "You are that other person Sora talks to sometimes?" She asked, somewhat nervously, with Vanitias nodding. "Where is Sora?" Vanitias tapped his chin, confused himself. _Yells at me for leaving without asking, but he just rushes the moment that girls… _Vanitias mouthed 'oh', before making a dark chuckle.

"You aren't going to like the answer, but he's helping Kairi right now." Vanitias flicked his wrist, seeing the Void Gear proudly in his fingertips. "Good to have a body of my own for once… Don't worry, sure Sora will come back eventually." He gestured, wagging his free hand playfully. "I'm just as handsome as Sora is, so you can enjoy me bashing skulls with his face."

"I-I never said anything…" Strelitzia blushed, tapping her fingers and catching up to Vanitias. He looked toward her, seeing her slightly red cheeks. _She has it bad for Sora… Poor idiot doesn't know what he's doing here. _Vanitias, if he had the old coot rattling in his noggin still, figured he would have _fun _right now. _But that's not what Sora would want, or what I would want. What do I want… _Vanitias tapped his chin, pondering this. But laughter got the duo's attention, Vanitias standing protectively in front of Strelitzia. She hastily got her keyblade out, pointing to the direction of the noise.

"So… Seems like Sora's got some demons rattling in that head of his." Luxu teased, arms behind his back and not wearing his Organization robes. Instead, he was wearing white gloves snaking most of his arms, a buttoned blue jacket with matching pants. His eyepatch was firmly on his left eye, yellow right one fully exposed. Finishing the attire was a bright red scarf. "Vanitias… Been a while, huh champ?"

"Xigbar… Luxu, I don't know or care what your name is." Vanitias charged into the gunslinger, though he quickly blocked his strike with No Name. "So you have the coot's weapon… Let me guess, the idiot still rattles in your head? And you say I have demons." Vanitias smirked, one dangerous enough to give genuine fear to Strelitzia. Telling the girl next to him was getting unnerved, Vanitias bit his lip and sighed. _Why am I being nice NOW of all times… _

"Take it your girlfriend is keeping your cool?" Luxu taunted, with Vanitias taking deep breaths to compose himself. Strelitzia slowly walked forward, holding her keyblade out protectively. "So… You are _that _one."

"Luxu… Master of Master's most trusted student…" She started, jabbing her weapon into the ground. "Why did… Did you do those horrible things? I heard that you took down Master Ava!" Strelitzia shouted, taking the weapon out of the ground, and pointing it right at Luxu. He sighed, showing genuine remorse, making Vanitias actually let out a bitter laugh.

"So you _do _have a heart. Guess it took you long enough." Vanitias joked, but Luxu ignored him, attention firmly on the girl before him.

"The Master… Didn't mean for all this to happen." Luxu said weakly, eyes locked on his black boots. Vanitias blinked, red eyes studying Luxu. _What are you doing… _He silently made his weapon vanish, turning the Void Gear into two daggers as he practiced. Sliding them into his sleeves, he just narrowed his eyes, ready for anything. Strelitzia slowly walked toward Luxu, Vanitias seeing the man have a smirk for a split second. "But you are a distraction." He was going to shoot something out of the No Name, but Vanitias threw one of the daggers at Luxu, making the man stumble from the sharp pain.

Dashing into Strelitzia, he used the other dagger and chucked it at a nearby lamppost, warping the both of them toward that. Rolling ungracefully, the duo avoided a deathly blow. Holding out both hands, Vanitias felt the two daggers return to him. "You were always the perceptive one. Get that from Roxas?" Luxu asked, gripping his hold on the No Name, ready for a dual. Vanitias slowly got up, holding both daggers like a trained assassin.

"Nah, just can read people pretty well. Having the memories of four people, three who have fought you by the way, _really _helps with battle plans." Vanitias looked right at Strelitzia, having a look screaming _'Go find the others, I will meet up with you'. _He was thankful she understood, nodding weakly before dashing ahead. "I always wanted to wipe the floor with you. Maybe compare my record for 'creaming the top fighter in discount black coats club' with Roxas and Sora."

"Funny…" Luxu grinned, charging into Vanitias but the later blocked his strike using both daggers. "But I'm a _master. _What are you, just a boy is more emo than Riku?" Vanitias laughed, kicking Luxu in a dishonorable place, before headbutting him and pushing Luxu back with a harsh elbow jab.

"Riku _wishes _he had my edge, loser." Vanitias scoffed, jamming the daggers together and forming the Void Gear once more. "Let's rumble old man!" Luxu spat out some blood as the two former Organization members clashed blades. Luxu grinned, sliding back after Vanitias blocked his attack. Flicking his keyblade, the No Name turned into two guns, making Vanitias groan in annoyance. _Great, this is going to be fun. _Vanitias held up his weapon, staying guard as his foe started warping around, sending endless gunfire upon him. _If that idiot's memory is correct… _Vanitias narrowed his eyes, trying to focus. Laser blasts recoiled off the Void Gear, either flying off or vanishing from the impact. _Ah… You clever fool. _Vanitias closed his eyes, waiting for more gunfire. As a laser blast came his way, Vanitias slammed his keyblade into it, reflecting the blast and sending it right back at Luxu.

The keyblade master couldn't block the attack, taking the hit head-on and falling to the ground. "Learned lessons from Sora I see, good one champ." Luxu spat, with Vanitias grinning. He charged into Luxu, landing powerful multi-hit strikes before pulling off an explosive darkness-infused finisher, a burst of red and green flames burning Luxu. He grits his teeth as the embers lingered on his shoulders, using a weak water spell on himself to douse the flames. Leaping into the air, he aimed the No Name at Vanitias, the boy ready for anything.

The keyblade turned into a sniper rifle, Luxu now resting on top a gargoyle nearby. Vanitias felt a storm of bullets come his way, rolling and blocking each strike coming his way. Vanitias grit his teeth, red eyes darting to find some nearby cover. Seeing an alleyway ahead of him, he grinned, dashing into it and rolling behind some cover. Chugging down one of Sora's many Mega Potions, he crushed the bottle and threw it over his shoulder, gunfire turning the bottle into shards of glass. _Good aim… _Vanitias thought but his head perked up. _Mmm… _He looked at his right hand, seeing Sora's. _...He's out of the picture, it's okay to do this. _Vanitias took a deep breath, channeling his inner darkness. It was hard, considering Sora's light was still so strong within Vanitias, but he was able to conjure up some Flood Unversed, a good ten or so.

Two of them scurred toward their master, rubbing their triangle heads on his leg. "Guys… I need you to distract him." Vanitas pointed toward the distance, his little army nodding, body's twitching toward the location their master pointed. One Flood just tilted it's head though, giving Vanitias a look of confusion. Vanitias just smirked, ruffling its head before the creature scurried off. "Okay, I have some breathing room now."

The Flood slowly darted around the battlefield, making Luxu chuckle in amusement. "You think some bugs can defeat me? Cute." Luxu smirked, making quick work of many of the Unversed. Finishing the last one, he wiped some sweat off his forehead. "Now, where is my good friend…"

"Right behind you," Vanitias said darkly, Luxu quickly turning around to block a heavy strike from the Void Gear, but he wound up falling face-first on the stone ground. Luxu groaned in pain, Vanitias landing gracefully before him. "Glad you forgot I could make my own army."

"Not a surprise…" Luxu got up, using the No Name to keep himself on two feet. "Master could summon heartless like nothing if he wanted too." Vanitias blinked, eyes narrowed in confusion. "No, not talking about the old coot either."

"...Who is your master." Vanitias pointed his Void Gear at Luxu's neck, slowly walking around in a circle. "The girl told Sora, that there are old keyblade masters. Ones neither of us has ever heard of or met." Luxu just grinned like a cat, as if he was hiding something. "You _do _have answers. Spill or I gut you like a fish." Vanitias said threateningly, though Luxu simply wagged his finger, kicking Vanitias in an unhonorable location. Falling on the ground, Vanitias looked up and was met with a swift roundhouse kick, sent flying into a nearby wall. "...Lucky shot old man."

"Tell the kid his babysitter said hello." Luxu saluted Vanitias before vanishing into the night. _Babysitter? What the hell is he talking about… _Getting off the ground, Vanitias fixed his hoodie, fingerless gloves clenched into thick balls. _Hate when that fool is so cryptic. Though Luxu knows more than he's letting on. _Sighing at himself, Vanitias looked around, wondering if his unversed are doing okay, seeing one little one twitching toward him.

"Good work out there." Vanitias picked the Flood up, putting it on his shoulder. "Maybe you can be a pet for Sora's girlfriend here." The Flood twitched it's head, making Vanitias give a good-natured chuckle. The two slowly walked toward the castle in the distance, hoping to meet up with his allies sooner than later.

* * *

Marco rolled away from incoming claw swipe, gritting his teeth as Riku and Tom used their magic to cast a barrier around them. The three glared daggers at their foe before them, the monstrous form of Meteora, not a baby anymore. She was now a full-grown woman monster, wearing her familiar headmistress dress from her Saint Olga's days and her body coated in a purple pelt with odd dark purple stripes on her arms and legs.

"How the heck is she _back _man?!" Tom hissed, releasing his hold on the barrier and launching a surge of fire in Meteora's direction, her fur getting ablaze until she used darkness to put the fires out. Riku slid back, shooting a massive Dark Firga strike at her face, only for her to _eat _the attack. Letting out a burp after taking in the darkness-infused fire, Riku rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"This reminds me of the more annoying battles I've fought." Riku narrowed his eyes, brandishing his Braveheart and focusing on Meteora's arm. He launched toward it like a speeding bullet, spinning around her arm and making deadly slashes like a wild animal. Riku launched into the air right as Meteora was going to make a powerful claw strike, but he blocked it swiftly with his weapon. Landing right next to Marco, the boy was faced with another strike, but Marco quickly pointed his keyblade forward, launching a Blizzard spell. Pinning her leg in place, Marco charged into battle, leaping in the air and making a quick three-hit combo before getting swatted into Riku and Tom. His friends caught him thankfully, Marco giving a relieved nod to each of them.

"How are you back? Same deal like Toffee I assume." Marco asked, his grip on the keyblade so tight, his hands were turning a shade of ghostly white. The monster laughed, as if she was assumed.

"My return is thanks to _this_…" She held up the fragment of the spell book, making Marco's eyes grow wide like dinner plates. _Oh boy… _He backed away, seeing darkness emanating off the magical book. "...And _these _new friends of mine." Shadow Bug heartless slowly came out of the spell book, making it return to it's former glory, though now shining in a yellow and darkness emanating from the book. "Mom will be disappointed to know that her two _favorite _people didn't help free Daddy."

"Like I care!" Marco shouted, making Riku and Tom slowly back away. "You've been nothing but a thorn in my side since day-zero! Trying to brainwash me, hurt me and my friends… And even eating my _hand!_" Marco held up his left hand, revealing how brused it really was. Tom winced while Riku just frowned, though part of him found amusement in the situation. "How about you just turn back into a baby and take a time out." Marco grinned, taking out his dimensional scissors, holding them in one hand while his keyblade was firmly in the other. Charging into battle, Marco rolled away from various claw strikes, making careful slashes in the air with his dimensional scissors, creating various blue portals.

Marco kept doing this, avoiding attacks and making blue portals, giving Tom and Riku knowing looks. The boys nodded at one another, shooting magic and fire through the exposed portals. Meteora couldn't dodge the onslaught of fire, slowly screaming in pain. Marco stopped making portals, looking at his friends to stop attacking. Then, Marco leaped into one of the portals, and coming out of one of them, landed a powerful blow with his keyblade. He kept on doing this until coming out of the portal he originally made, falling on the ground exhausted and holding out a thumbs up shakily. "Did… Did we do it? Is the monster lady down for the count?" Marco asked, with Riku casting Curga on him, healing his wounds and restoring lot energy.

"...I think so?" Riku asked unsurely, Meteora slowly shrinking, reversing into her baby form. Marco walked up to the baby, the little monster crying earnestly, tired eyes looking for her mother. _Why am I so nice… _Marco sighed to himself, picking up the baby and gently rocking her. She bit his finger, making Marco form a face as if he ate five lemons. "...Want me too take care of her?"

"I think my bro's got this." Tom elbowed Marco, the later giving his friend a dirty look. "Sure Starship's kids will be a handful." Marco's face turned a shade of red, his embarrassment helping mask the pain from now bitten hand. _It's like a nasty cat, she even has a little tail one of them. _Telling himself it's just a baby in his arms and _not _the evil monster princess that hates his guts, Marco turned where the now corrupted spellbook fell. Riku and Tom walked up toward it, the later picking it up. "Huh… So this is Sarship's old spell book? A lot heavier than I expected…"

"Imagine it's a good read." Riku took it out of Tom's hands, flipping through various pages, though paused on one of them. "...This can't be right." Marco walked up to Riku, his head tilted toward what his friend pointed at. It was a page detailing something about crystal magic. "It mentions that crystals made by this Rhombulus person can be broken with a special spell…"

"Star! Marco!" A familiar voice got the tiro's attention, with Marco yanking the spell book out of Riku's hands, making a small portal and chucking the book through it. Riku and Tom blinked but Marco closed the portal as if he never even open it. Eclipsa and River rushed into the throne room, where the boy's battle with adult Meteora took place in, seeing their somewhat battered forms and the now sleeping baby in Marco's arms. "What happened to you three? Heartless came into the throne room too?"

"Yeah." Riku answered, with Marco giving Meteora back to Eclipsa. "We wound up fighting a massive heartless and defeated it, but your baby popped out of the creature. A first for me." Riku answered smoothly, with Marco mouthing 'that's not right' and Riku mouthing 'World order' right back, simply shaking his head in response.

Tom walked up to Eclipsa, his three eyes screaming 'Where's Star', the queen of darkness simply rubbing her neck in response. "Enough with this Marco, we gotta find Star. Don't know why you aren't more worried…"

"Cause she can defend herself." Marco said bluntly, though his tone had a lot of pride weaved within it. "She was really tired after we got back and after talking with Kairi, went right to sleep." Marco tapped his chin, that dream of his playing in his mind. Confidence in his best friend changed on a dime to pure fear. _N-No… She couldn't… _But he looked at Meteora, remembering how the darkness affected her. Marco rushed out of the room in an instant, ignoring his friends outright. Tom just shook his head, dashing after his best friend, equally worried.

Riku just stayed with Eclipsa and River, folding his arms. "How bad is it out there?" River took off his crown, holding it within his hands, a mornful expression on his face.

"We… We saw a massive pillar of green flames north. Where Pie Island is, so maybe that Maleficent lady you mentioned to us is over there." Riku shook his head, letting it hang low.

"Someone took down the witch, and she has a lot of darkness within her. If she found a way to access this world's keyhole…" Riku's face paled, making Eclipsa and River both scared, the later never usually feeling fear at all. "Did you sent Invi and Gula into town?"

"Yes, in addition to my Kingsguard, trained monsters that are very good at what they do." Eclipsa replied smuggly, with River leaning into Marco's ear, saying 'They aren't very good' before standing tall next to the current queen once more. "Your friend Kairi should be with them, though I recalled her staying in the room next to Star's."

"Mind if I make a call quick?" Riku asked, with Eclipsa nodding. "Great, you keep the heartless out of the castle. River, you help Marco and Tom… Wait, where's Kelly, the one with the green hair?"

"Went out before the heartless showed up lad." River replied, his tone not remotely worried. "Likely is with your friends." Riku sighed in relief, giving a thankful smile before walking down the hall, letting his Gummi Phone ring.

"What's up kid?" Axel picked up, his tone exhausted. "I had a rough night, seeing ghosts of all things…"

"I'm no ghost!" A bubbly voice shouted, squeezing into the shot. "Oh! You are that Riku person my Master talks highly of. Hello, I'm Ava! Going to be visiting you and Kairi soon, just gotta help Donald repair the Gummi Ship."

"Uh… Hi." Riku waved sheepishly, being so… Surprised at how much like Kairi and Sora this woman was. Deciding not to question things right now, he pushed onward. "The situation is really bad and we need help. I think this world's keyhole is opening up, letting the darkness through."

Axel whistled, earning a sharp elbow jab from Ava. "You and Kairi busy I see. Want me to come with?" He turned to Ava, the master waving her hand. "Oh, well, I guess we will catch up later then."

"Yeah, master's order." She yanked the phone from Axel and started walking out of the room. "Listen, I can _feel _the darkness from this odd device. Is my sister and brother with you?" Riku blinked for a moment, before realizing something. He nodded and Ava sighed. "Good, I will be there soon. Donald! Goofy! We gotta head out for adventure!"

The image went into static, with Riku chuckling at Donald's angered quacks, Axel shouting 'give me my Gummi Phone back!' and Roxas seemingly laughing his butt off. Putting his phone away, he was going to meet up with the Queen and former King, but his eyes darted to a heavy tome. Picking it up, he was surprised to see the Spell Book, the very thing Marco threw away the moment Eclipsa showed up. "I guess… She shouldn't have this." Riku put the object in one of his many pockets, thankful Merlin did something right by enchanting his and Kairi's pockets to store whatever they need regardless of the situation. Rushing into the throne room, Riku started looking for his friends, hoping he could prevent Mewni from ending up like Destiny Islands a few years ago.

* * *

_** Yep, I am going to be doing some fun stuff next chapter if you couldn't tell. The real reason for this split, is I'm trying to finalize the 'big boss' for this world. I'm pretty sure what I'm going with, but still going to think on that some more. Anyway, review round-up!**_

_**blackpackager - Imagine this, Pete and Maleficent have been work partners since Kingdom Hearts 2 and clearly have a form of friendship (she DID get him out of that dimension he was in for years/decades/etc). So him turning on her was the final straw in many cases. **_

_**prince of underbrush - As I've discussed with you in PM's, I have more in store for Mewni. But I wanted to have the stakes high, as I imagine Mewni and a lot of the worlds being 'high-level worlds' for Kairi and company to face. **_

_**TaitanoRules555 - Yes.**_

_**7 - Thank you.**_

_**Sentinel07 - Thank you.**_

_**H.R.C. Stanley - ofc, I wanted to hit it out of the park for the conclusion to Mewni. **_


	25. Update (3312019)

_**Hello everyone. I know many of you are waiting for the next chapter in this story and I'm still hyped to write it but... Hot damn at these new Star Vs episodes. I don't know HOW to feel about things now... I'm still going to finish up 'Chapter Mewni' and get this world done in the next chapter or two. But part of me is regretting even bringing Mewni into the story, or rather, a part of me is happy since I can write how the characters should be acting. **_

_**This isn't related to KH but just know that the next chapter will release later than usual. I want some time to pass before I write about Star Vs characters again. For the moment though, thank you all for reading this so far and I promise, the next chapter is going to be fantastic.**_

_**Word of advice, for anyone, engaged in any show/game/series/etc. Don't put all your eggs in one shipping basket, please. Cause if you really believe something will happen, it could very easily just not happen. Even when you are red in the face screaming 'WTF?! This was set up to happen! Why didn't it...' **_

_**Knowing many of you guys had some reactions to KH3 and how some plot beat/character were handled, this isn't a new feeling for you all. **_


	26. Flying to the Moon

_**Finally, back at it with another chapter. Sorry, this took so long, but want to find my groove with things again. I feel better about Star Vs now and decided on exactly what follows once I finish this arc. Anyway, one more chapter on Mewni after this and we move on to more stuff. Thank you all for being so understanding, I needed a little break from writing this fic and getting my groove back. **_

* * *

Ava dreamed of flying across the lanes between, hearing so many wonderful stories from Master Sora about how great the _trill _of danger could be time to time. _Dad really didn't lie. _Ava smirked, sharply turning the Gummi Ship right as a cluster of heartless tailed the ship. They just left Radiant Garden, venturing to Mewni with Donald and Goofy. Ava felt bad that Axel couldn't come along, but part of her felt something _bad _was going down. _I hope my gut's wrong. _She seriously thought, but five heartless attacking her ship made her hiss in annoyance. "Don't you attack my ship you creeps! Donald, man the Mini Ships. Goofy, keep an eye on the radar."

"Got it, ma'am!" They said in unison, though Goofy's tone was a lot less annoyed. Goofy's gloved hands were firmly on the radar, trying to pinpoint where heartless were coming from. Donald meanwhile, groaned as he _hated _using the little ships via the Gummi Ship's extra set of controls. Ava looked at her companions, giving them a pleased smile. _Can see why Dad trusts them so much. _Looking ahead, she spotted a massive heartless in front of a golden portal, large claws pointing toward said portal and the storm of creatures heading into it. "Ava, I'm think'in that's Mewni."

"You're darn tooting it is," Ava stuck out her tongue, shooting down some smaller heartless and landing powerful shots into the largest one. "Let's ram into it!" Donald and Goofy looked at one another, gulping as their 'leader' punched right toward the heartless, making a sharp 180 _right _as she was in front of it. "Donald, FIRE!" Donald slammed the big fire button on his controls, a storm of bullets escaping the Mini Ships. Ava pressed some buttons on her control panel, trying to figure out what the 'special weapon' that Donald mentioned before leaving earlier was. To her surprise though, the ship's computer suddenly was red, the trio looking at one another worriedly. "Uh… It's clearly supposed to do that, right?"

Donald started quacking so loudly, Ava couldn't make out what he was saying, but the Gummi Ship was _falling apart _beneath their feet, the trio holding on for dear life as only the seats remained. The various Gummi Blocks collided with the large heartless, seemingly killing it. Ava looked back, mouthing 'See? I did the good thing!' but Donald just glared daggers at her while Goofy held him for dear life. Falling into the golden portal, the trio were surprised at how… _colorful _the portal was. Inside it, they were free falling into toward a far-away kingdom seemingly, but heartless were falling alongside them. Including… "Is that a... " Donald started, with Ava diving further into the portal.

Summoning her keyblade, Ava held out her weapon like a drill, spinning in place as she barreled through heartless after heartless. Upon the final hit, she landed on a cluster of heartless, forming a meteor of all things. Jabbing her keyblade into the ball of darkness, she held out her hand, Goofy grabbing it while Donald clung to him. "Rough landings are nothing new, hyuk." The knight joked, as Donald weakly casts a healing spell on the three of them. "Pal, ready for another rocky landing?"

"No!" Donald spat but his tone was not angry anymore, just scared. Ava gave him a weak smile, Donald seeing how earnest her green eyes were, he sighed and tightened his hold on Goofy. Everyone together now, Ava smirked as she lept off the meteor and started diving once more. Her vision was blurred, but she spotted a small castle town in the distance. _Right! _Throwing her keyblade using an Ice Raid, it went right through the meteor ahead, with Donald using various spells to take out the heartless around him and Goofy just torpedoing through everything thanks to his shield, with Donald riding him like a surfboard. The sight would have made Ava laugh in stitches, but she saw blobs ahead, vision clearing up to make out some people and friendly monsters.

"I'm not letting people get hurt…" Ava said to herself, laying on her back and holding out her keyblade. She gave Donald and Goofy a look screaming 'stand back' and the duo flew past her. Closing her eyes, she focused on her first magic spell Master Sora taught everyone…

* * *

"Okay, I'm going to teach you all a powerful magic attack," Master Sora started, pacing around in his torn up and aged red/black hoodie. Ava sat down, her face oozing with excitement while her new sister's and brothers had various degrees of excitement. Invi was more stoic, Gula just looked bored, Aced just studied Master Sora intently and Ira just rubbed his chin with interest. Standing next to Sora though, was Luxu, short black hair neat and his two eyes having a playful shine to them. He readied his Starlight Keyblade, the weapon looking so different from the keyblades Ava and her siblings summoned. His had a black handle and golden handle, but its teeth mirrored what the slowly-forming unions were using.

He pointed the weapon at Master Sora, who raised an eyebrow playfully at his newest son. "Gramps, guess I can finally take you out." Sora mouthed 'try me' while holding out his Kingdom Key in a guarding stance. A cluster of magic was coming out of Luxu's weapon, exploding into a cluster of beams… Though they didn't strike Sora at all. They hit everyone else, some rolling away from the attack or just taking the hit head-on. _Ugh… _Ava hissed in annoyance, being one of the few the attack struck. "Oh… Sorry guys." Luxu said weakly, with Master Sora simply holding out his two hands, healing everyone.

"Live and learn, something I learned becoming a master," Sora said good-naturedly, rubbing Luxu's head. Turning to his students, Sora coughed and they looked at their father intently. "Listen here kiddos, Ragnarok is a powerful spell, one that can tear apart your foe easily." Sora held out the Kingdom Key with one hand, his other hand conjuring up a dummy. "You just need to focus on the target in front of you, let that magic build up from your body, then let it flow into the keyblade…" Sora pushed the Kingdom Key forward, sending a wave of red beams at the dummy. It tore the poor thing apart. "And like that, you can easily destroy your foe. Never use this attack in one-on-one duals, not very nice getting hit in the face with fire magic." HIs eyes looked toward the sky, lost in thought for whatever reason.

Ava smiled, summoning her keyblade and giving it a warm smile. _I can do this…_

* * *

"I can do this!" She let her inner magic flow into the keyblade, a cluster of pink and red magic forming into a massive ball at her keyblade's tip. Shoving the weapon forward, the ball exploded into a storm of light, ripping apart all the shadow meteors and heartless. Ava smiled, but her body felt weak, eyes closing as she fell toward the earth…

...But she didn't crash on the ground, landing in the arms of someone familiar. Opening her eyes, Ava saw the relieved expressions of Invi and Gula, the former tackling her into a crushing hug as Gula let Ava go. "Sister… You were being so reckless…" Ava just hugged Invi tight, happy to be around more of her family once more. Gula joined the hug, his face completely content at being reunited with his sister.

They were interrupted with a loud _thud _crashing against the Mewni soil, with Goofy making a shout that _seemed _iconic to Ava. Donald's was simply out cold, though his face was red in frustration… Or anger? Ava could tell from just being around the mage for the past few hours that he has some issues to work out. The family letting one another go, they helped Donald and Goofy up, with Invi using a Curga spell to heal everyone in their little group. "So… The Master told you to come here? We heard from the master that he found you in Olympus." Gula asked, with Ava nodding.

"Yeah, my role is to train Riku and Kairi, the later being pretty interesting. She's a princess!" Ava said excitedly, helping Donald up but the mage quacking in annoyance. Ava just pouted at him, letting Donald be and turning to her siblings. "But why is this world filled with darkness? Thought a princess of light lived here…"

Invi and Gula looked at one another, the former rubbing her arm in defeat. "...Remember the stories of Maleficent?" Ava nodded, vaguely remembering Hades talking to the witch during the 'stadium days' of her life. _Nothing but trouble. _Invi could see the angered look on Ava's face, only recalling her sister getting _that _angry when she was clashing with Luxu eons ago. "The witch was slain but her darkness exposed this world's keyhole."

"And we have to close it up." Gula finished, folding his arms and sighing to himself. "And with so many keyblade users in this world… We are dealing with a code-red situation." Donald and Goofy finally walked up to the group, getting Gula's attention. "So you are the Master's parents… He wasn't kidding about you guys looking ripped right out of a cartoon."

"Nice to met ya, I'm Goofy." The knight held out his hand, which Gula and Invi shook. "And this here is my pal Donald. We've helped Sora through a ton of scrapes."

"He can't take care of himself, so we gotta pick up his slack sometimes," Donald grumbled, which would have made the group laugh if the situation wasn't so tense currently. "Oh boy…" Goofy simply pat Donald's shoulder in reinsurance.

"I know pal, reminds me of End of the World." Goofy lamented, recalling himself, Donald and Sora seeing how ruined the lost worlds were. His large eyes spotted a lone figure, wielding a large sword fighting off various heartless. "Someone's in trouble, come on fellas!" Donald and Goofy charged toward the green-haired girl, the former shooting a series of Fira blasts while the later spun around in a Goofy Tornado. Taking out the heartless, they saw Kelly let out a sigh of relief.

"Huh, you guys must be new around here," Kelly commented, tapping her chin. "But you two look so familiar…" Her eyes darted toward the keyblade masters coming toward her. "And you must be Star's new friends. We gotta help this town, those heartless creeps keep coming out of nowhere!"

"Okay girl, let's rumble!" Ava shouted, entering a battle cry as they rushed into town and started bashing Shadow Bugs, Soldiers and Large Bodies like nothing. Invi and Gula just gave Donald and Goofy a knowing look, with the mage and knight giving a sheepish smile. They joined Ava and Kelly, helping defend the small Mewman town.

* * *

"Holy Light!" Kairi shouted, transforming into her form-change and dashing away from an attack from a Demon Tower in the Castle Courtyard. The Princess of Light wince in pain, part of her black-gloved torn from the heartless attack. She didn't have time to prepare for this, with the heartless attacking Mewni Castle out of nowhere, with her body moving on it's own basically. _Being a princess of light isn't in times like these. _She thought bitterly, realizing how the heartless both feared and targeted her specifically. Her eyes tried spotting a weakness in the demon tower, but considering how she wasn't just contending with the demon tower, Kairi couldn't even focus.

She skated around the courtyard, avoiding the various training equipment and heartless types alike. Kairi spotted a large body blocking her exit point, remembering how the damned creatures practically dragged her into the courtyard. Gritting her teeth, she turned around and shot various Fira blasts with her staff, before dashing away from a claw strike from a Neoshadow, it's lanky arms and legs being surprisingly strong and having good reach. Entering a defensive position, Kairi used her keyblade and Reflect magic she learned from Merlin to block various attacks on all sides.

_If only Sora was here… _Kairi thought bitterly, memories of the islands being swallowed to the darkness haunting her mind. _No! I can be strong on my own! _Kairi focused on her light, hoping to channel some powerful magic or something…

"Ragnarok!" Kairi heard a voice that nearly made her shudder, his boyish but serious tone echoing through her mind. She was so shaken by this voice… _His _voice, that she didn't feel Star pull her away and use a keyblade of all things to fight off the surrounding heartless. She blinked as the beams of light tore through the surrounding heartless, with the boy in red and black standing proudly before Kairi, in a protective pose like a knight helping his princess. "Star, get Kairi out of here, I can take these punks on."

"Come on, she can fight Sora," Star said playfully, elbowing Kairi. Finally snapping out of the utter shock coursing through her, Kairi had a tearful smile seeing Sora's confident blue eyes and trademark goofy smile. "Girl, you okay?" Star asked earnestly, patting Kairi's shoulder.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Kairi said shakily, patting her cheeks and realizing she wasn't alone anymore. She just hugged Sora, wanting to know this wasn't some sick joke the darkness was playing. _Master Aqua said she had illusions like this with Terra and Ventus… _Kairi thought to herself, but no, Sora felt solid. His sent… His warmth… _I can't break down now, not when Star's world is on the verge of being lost to the darkness. _Standing guard, she stood right next to Sora, having a confident smile on her face. "You better catch up with me Sora, not the damsel like I was before."

"You never were Kai," Sora said with a smirk, closing his eyes and summoning his Kingdom Key. He charged into battle and made a swift three-hit combo on a Neoshadow, with Kairi leaping in the air to shoot a Blizzard spell to finish it off. Star quickly turned around, covering Kairi and Sora's backs with a powerful spinning strike, balancing on the ball of her feet and making a sweeping slash to finish off the remaining heartless on her side of the courtyard.

Sora and Kairi focused on the large Demon Tower, the former groaning facing _another _one. Kairi giggled at Sora's seemingly annoyed expression, reverting from her form-change and channeling her inner magic to release a ball of light, making an opening now that the coast was clear. Sora used his air-stepping to target the opening and leap into the demon tower. Finding the weak point, Sora pulled off another Ragnarok spell, nearly eviscerating the demon tower core.

The tower exploded, however, nearly encasing the three keyblade users. Kairi and Star gave one another a playful smile, taking each other's hand and holding up their keyblades. A surge of light released from the tips of their weapons, with Sora posing as if he was closing a keyhole. Aiming the teeth of the Kingdom Key at the Demon Tower's core, he twisted his keyblade as if unlocking a door. A beam of light escaped from his weapon, destroying the cluster of heartless on the spot.

With the intense darkness at bay for just a moment, the trio fell on the ground and huffed from exhaustion. Kairi turned to Sora, wanting to say something but her face went wide in horror, his form fizzing out for just a mere second. _N-No… You can't vanish again. _Rubbing her eyes, Sora was still there, giving his toothy smile as usual. _R-Right, I'm seeing things. _

"Star!" The trio heard two voices shout, with Tom and Marco rushing toward Star. Riku was going to shout Kairi's name but his body froze upon seeing Sora. He even pinched his arm, wondering if he was seeing things. _I know, shocked myself._ Kairi held out her hand, helping Sora up. Riku slowly walked over to the duo, his hand shaking as he slowly put on Sora's shoulder.

"S-Sora… How are you…" Sora just hugged Riku and Kairi, the two surprised at the embrace. Riku said nothing else, tightening his hold on the two. Kairi's heart never felt lighter, hers and Riku's connection to Sora opening up like a clogged well.

Letting one another go, Sora turned to a very confused Tom and Marco. "Hi, name's Sora. These guys are my best pals." Marco simply shrugged his shoulder, holding out his hand for Sora to shake. Tom just rubbed his chin, looking between the three of them. "Uh… I think… Your name is Tom, right?"

"How do you know… Right, that brother of yours, huh?" Tom laughed, with Sora grinning, throwing hands behind his head. "Marco, I'm going to guess he's another key-person."

"I'm thinking you're guessing right," Marco smirked, though his face grew serious. "You are here because the situation is _that _bad I'm imagining." Sora's posture became more serious, nodding gravely. Kairi and Riku _just _noticed the scar running down Sora's face, both blinking in surprise seeing this.

"This is just like my home, when the heartless attack," Sora started, flicking his wrist and summoning the Kingdom Key. "Where is the keyhole? We have to seal it up before Darksides and even greater heartless start popping up."

"He's right, and this might be important," Riku dug into his pockets, holding the Book of Spells. "Meteora was holding this and Marco's reaction toward this was telling." Star rubbed her neck, walking away from the group.

"...Eclipsa is a good person, but freeing Globgor is going to cause nothing but trouble," Star hugged herself, the group intently listening in. "He did a lot of bad things, and even though I trust Eclipsa… I can't let _my _kingdom fall because of any more mistakes." Star faced her group, taking the spell book out of Riku's hands. "...I should destroy this, then maybe we could…"

"My didn't expect to see all of you here," The group jumped at the voice, seeing a blue man hop out of the book's cover. His pink-ish gem faintly glowed as he studied everyone before him. His gaze lingered on Sora, eyes narrowing. "And you, are quite the interesting case. Wonder how long you can stay here…"

"Huh?" Sora tilted his head in confusion, but the blue man didn't bother answering him. "So you are like… Star's Jiminy, I'm guessing." He just shrugged his shoulders. "So… You know what's going on here?"

"You know already, so why bother asking me?" The blue man countered, with Sora pouting in annoyance. Marco just walked past Sora, standing before the floating blue man, giving an annoyed glare.

"Glossyarck now's not the time for riddles," Marco cut a portal with his scissors, putting his hand into it and pulling out two pudding cups before closing the rift. "Tell us where this 'keyhole' is or we might not even _have _a home anymore."

"You've grown…" Glossyarck said in an impressed tone, taking the pudding cups and eating it with his hands. _That's… That's just gross. _Kairi thought, while Riku and Sora just had somewhat annoyed expressions. _Guessing they are seeing a more annoying version of Yen Sid right now. _Kairi snickered at the mental image. "The keyhole you seek is closer than you think." His eyes dart toward the sky, with Star and Marco seeing a bright red orb in the sky. Seeing their shocked expressions, the magical teacher smirked. "Yes, Timmy didn't tell you everything about the moon after all."

"Huh… I did actually." Tom rubbed his neck, his third eye looking away from the group. "The Blood Moon doesn't force anything, they know this. So I don't get what you're talking about dude."

"I'm a bit lost right now," Sora rubbed his neck, walking toward the group. "But I'm guessing that's where the most magic in this world's coming from?" Glossyarck smiled, nodding in agreement. "Okay, so we just visit it and close the thing up! Sounds easy."

"Yes… And no." Glossyarck replied, looking at his now empty pudding cups. "Well, out of pudding. Bye." The blue man vanished, leaving the six heroes alone baffled. Sora blinked, giving Riku a look screaming 'that's it?' with the later simply rubbing his forehead in annoyance.

_Mmm… _Kairi pointed her keyblade at the moon, her keyblade glowing a faint yellow. Sora looked at her, Kairi giving a knowing smile. Nodding toward her, Sora pointed his keyblade at the Blood Moon. Riku mirrored his friends, with Star and Marco soon copying them. Tom just held his hand up, trying to not look stupid. To his shock, a black keyblade appeared in his right hand, glowing just like his friends. The six heroes shot beams of light into the sky, their forms slowly vanishing and going into the very object watching over them.

* * *

_**Going to sum up, my responses to reviews on the 'update' with this comment: Star Vs is a show that has a very 'clear' way of telling its story and it loves to gut-punch you often. How you handle it, depends on how invested you are into the characters. The fact I was and still am upset with events in 'Curse' to a degree show how well written the show truly is if it got such an emotional reaction out of me. Is the show perfect? Heck no. But it's still a very promising one and the latest set of episodes as of this writing were a treat to watch for lore-reasons.**_

_**Review response time.**_

_**TaitanoRules555 - I had a blast writing that and it was a great 'excuse' to explain why Sora is suddenly on Mewni now (though for how long, you just have to wait and see...)**_

_**blackpackager - Ava interacting with Young Sora and company will be a treat that I will be sure to finally let happen next chapter. **_

_**7 and Guest - Yes, yes indeed.**_

_**Guest (2) - And I already know about love triangles in shows and... I will be positive to cement what 'ships' are canon and aren't canon. Don't worry about that. **_

_**prince of underbrush - Field trips are fun and we gotta stretch our wings from time to time. After all, freedom is fun until you clip them off ;). **_

_**Sentinel07 - Thank you!**_

_**Legionary Prime - And you shall see with this chapter what comes next.**_

_**H.R.C. Stanley - Yes, no, maybe both? You just have to see and find out for yourself.**_


	27. Waltz of the Blood Moon

_**Back at it again! This is the final chapter in the 'Mewni Arc'. Next chapter is set up for what happens next for our heroes and the next major arc. **_

* * *

Bright red. That was the only thing catching Sora's vision as he slowly opened his eyes. Part of him panicked, wondering if he was sucked back to Shibuya or vanishing again… But the pressure of Kairi and Riku on his person made him sigh in relief, or rather, the sensation of being a solid object did. _This hurts… _Sora elbowed Riku, spurring him up and getting the Keyblade Master up. Kairi simply blinked, taking in her surroundings. Pushing himself up, Sora held out his hand for Kairi, the Princess taking it and standing by his side. The trio looked around, seeing a very… Pleasing sight.

It was out of a romantic movie or something, with couples dancing together. To Sora's surprise, even couples _he _knew from his worldly travels were here, such as Belle and Beast. _Is that Beast? _Sora tilted his head, seeing a very-human person. _Huh, guess he finally broke that curse of his. _Sora brushed a finger under his noise pleased. "Where is Star, Marco, and Tom?" Riku asked, getting Sora's attention. Riku just raised an eyebrow at what his best friend was wearing. "Sora? Hello? Did you get hit on the head again?"

"Oh my…" Kairi blushed, Sora mirroring her beat-red expression. She was wearing a red-ball gown, which was form-fitting and even her hair was in a ponytail. Drifting his attention to Riku, he wore a simple white tux, through various heartless and dream-eater symbols were on shoulder tassels. Sora took out his Gummi Phone, wondering what he looked like. Seeing himself within the phone's camera, he mirrored… Something not unlike a prince. A small golden crown was on his head, matching blacks and silvers coating a princely get up. _This isn't like my Final Drive form… _Sora mused, putting his phone away and rubbing his neck sheepishly.

"You look… Great guys." Sora muttered, making Kairi giggle and Riku groan somewhat. He remembered what Riku said, however, starting to walk ahead and ponder to himself. _This is in that Blood Moon… Normally, the keyholes are filled with darkness. Unless Belle and Beast somehow turned into heartless, this isn't right. _His friends were equally confused, staying close to Sora as the various couples danced in complete bliss.

Ever-powerful red beams coated the dance floor, giving a mysterious but joyful vibe to the situation at hand. "Didn't those guys come here before?" Riku said aloud, making Sora raise an eyebrow. Kairi nodded, Sora's confused expression going completely ignored.

"It was the first time Star and Marco acted like a couple, if what she told me was right," Kairi smiled, giving Sora a small smile. "Maybe once all this is over, _you _can treat me to a nice dance."

"He will step all over your feet," Riku joked, making Sora pout in annoyance. "Tell me I'm not wrong?"

"I will let you know, I learned how to dance," Sora said smugly, folding his arms and giving a proud smile. Riku just mouthed sure and passed him, making Sora sigh. Kairi kissed his cheek though, making Sora blush for a hot second. "...That does sound fun though Kai." She held his hand as the two followed Riku, the oddly large dance floor leading toward a small podium. The trio spotted a door ahead, which was wide open. Before them, was a small grey demon that looked tired. His blood-shot eyes looked at the three keyblade wielders, sizing them up before mumbling something in demon. Riku kelt to meet him at eye level, listening in intently. _Don't tell me he understands him…. _

"He's saying… The latest Blood Moon couple is down these halls." He whispered into Riku's ears, the Keyblade Master nodding at a comment. "And Tom apparently is his great-great-great grandson. Demons live _that _long?" The demon nodded. "Huh, that's… Something."

"How do you understand demon?" Sora and Kairi asked in unison, with Riku folding his arms in response.

"It sounds very similar to the cries heartless make," Sora blinked, while Kairi tilted her head. "Uh… Realm of Darkness does things to you."

"I'll bet," Sora smirked, with the three thanking the small demon as they walked down the halls. The positive atmosphere from earlier was completely gone, with Sora wondering if he was back in the Underworld of all places. The gang was still in their new attire, which made Sora wonder what the heck was going on. Riku looked equally as puzzled, with Kairi just holding her Destiny's Embrace ready for a fight. Sora felt his hand itch for the Kingdom Key but something told him _not _to summon it.

Loud giggles, sounding somewhat like… "So, you guys came to play with us?" The voice uttered, making Sora pause completely. Riku mirrored Sora, eyes locked on the shadow ahead. Kairi just walked ahead of the two boys, keyblade firmly pointed. "Kairi, you know those silly boys will fight over you on a _**dime**_, right?"

"No?" Sora and Riku said in unison, confused at the implication. _That was when we were kids… We've grown past that. _Sora thought bitterly, with Riku's expression more or less blank at the comment. The familiar voice laughed at them, her right hand glowing a faint pink. Before them was Star, her body covered with darkness and blue eyes tinted yellow.

"I had boy's fighting over me, for a long time, and it was _fun_!" Star laughed a manic one that didn't suit her. Kairi actually backed away, hands shaking. "If you three want a _fun _dance, follow me." Star vanished, leaving the Keyblade Trio looking at one another in complete unease. A shared look of a firm 'let's do this' in their eyes, they ran down the hallway, seeing something out of a twisted fairy tale.

The dance floor was a mixture of blacks and purples, the ceiling above having a full Blood Moon surrounded by black skies and glowing yellow stars. The stars were cracked in half, as if on the verge of breaking. Even the moon didn't look well, it's red light dimming. At each corner of the room, were statures of people Riku and Kairi grew to recognize, but twisted beyond belief. "You could say, this is my heart." The three saw Star slowly walk toward them, her form mirroring Kair's somewhat, with a red ball gown covering her. But it hinges was laced with purple, gloves pure black and hair flowing. Her boots were pure yellow, but the most striking feature on Star was her face. Her pink hearts were cracked, making Riku clench his fist. He marched forward, pointing his Braveheart at her. "What? Feel bad for me? Don't need anyone's _pity_!" She shot a bolt of dark lighting at Riku, but Sora used Reflectra, blocking the attack.

"Yeah, but you need to clam down Star!" Sora shouted, his blue eyes livid at the sight before him. "I _just _met you but this doesn't feel right. What happened?" Star smirked, folding her arms and turning around.

"The Blood Moon… It's not supposed to be a positive thing," Star started, pacing around three like a predator watching their prey. "It actually _forces _it's 'cursed' couple to have feelings for one another. So imagine my surprise when Tommy boy lied to Marco and I's faces." Riku and Kairi gulped, with Sora's blue orbs locked on Star's yellow ones. Kairi turned to Sora and was in complete shock with the _rage _in his eyes.

"And that's a bad thing?" Sora started, walking toward Star and summoning his Kingdom Key. "Destiny isn't something us Keyblade Wielders question. It's something we _accept _and don't question. Challenging our fates only lead to chaos happening." Sora didn't know _why _he was so angry, but memories of his clash with Xehanort and his various selves played on a loop. Sora's grit his teeth as he shot a surge of light at Star, who effortlessly blocked it with her United Lovers. "Don't you love Marco? It shouldn't matter if a moon helped make that happen or otherwise!"

"Try living your life with everyone calling you a failure, not respecting you and everything you do failing, _**then **_talk to me!" Star shouted, dashing into Sora but he quickly blocked her strike. Riku and Kairi dashed to Sora's side but were taken aback with two shadows dashing toward them. Kairi slid back as a black-hooded boy attacked her, while Riku rolled away from a powerful fireball attack from a literal demon ablaze. Seeing the keyblade's in their hands, Riku and Kairi figured _who _just attacked them. Giving Sora a knowing look, he just gave his friends a glare screaming 'You take care of them, I got this' and they nodded, fighting their foes as Sora dealt with Star.

* * *

Kairi jumped in the air, launching a few holly light strikes at Marco, but the boy simply swatted them away like nothing. She grits her teeth, trying to form-change, but she couldn't tap into it for whatever reason. _Plan B. _Kairi activated her Roseform and used it's chain-saw like blade to attack Marco, who continued blocking her strikes with precision. What made Kairi wince was the amount of sadness emanating from him.

Marco's face wasn't even visible, it covered by a skeleton mask. Only somber brown eyes were present, his odd-black hooded suit jacket making him appear like a royal protector of some kind. "Snap out of it! This isn't you Marco!"

He paused for a moment, his eyes seeing someone else. They flared with intense anger, charging into Kairi with a three-hit attack that sent her flying into one of the statues, her body wincing in pain. "Star… Won't… Hurt… Me!" Marco grit his teeth, his right arm growing a tentacle for whatever reason, and lashing at Kairi like a whip. She rolled and blocked the series of attacks, her mind conjuring up a battle plan.

_Darkness magic is always weak to light magic… _Her eyes studied the monster arm, a smirk forming on her lips. Skidding to a stop, she positioned herself in front of a stature. "Yeah, that's right, I'll keep hurting you!" Marco paused, his brown eyes glowing a faint yellow. "Tom's been such a great boyfriend! Much better than some _squire!_" Marco screamed in frustration, using his monster arm to grab Kairi, but she jumped out of the way, his arm covering the statue. Kairi held her keyblade forward, tapping into her Holly Light form change and shooting beams of light from her staff. The statue collapsed, with it crushing Marco's transformed arm. The boy screamed in pain, trying to yank his arm from the damage, but it wouldn't budge. _Now! _Kairi dashed into Marco, pulling him into a tight hug. _Think about Sora! _She shouted at herself, remembering this freeing him from the darkness eons ago.

Light exploded from Kairi and soon enough, Marco. The boy's mask slid off his face, falling to his knees. His arm even turned back to normal, though the black-jacket covering him was torn from the damage earlier. Looking at Kairi, he teared up, guilt gnawing at his heart. "I'm so…"

"Darkness tempted you, it's okay…" She rubbed his back, letting the boy calm down. "Take it easy, we will save Tom and Star next." Marco stood up suddenly, almost making Kairi fall down. "Wait, you need to heal up first before…" Marco grits his teeth and took a deep breath. His keyblade was summoned, a weak Cure spell healing himself and Kairi's damage. Seeing his resolve, she nodded and the two rushed toward the clash between Star and Sora.

* * *

Riku grinned despite himself. Cartrolling away from the angry demon's fire attacks, he couldn't help but have _fun _in such a heated battle. _Haven't gotten this fired up since my training session with Terra. _Riku smirked, sliding back as he shot a Dark Thundga at Tom. The demon sizzled at the attack, with Riku charging into him with a Dark Aura strike. Riku kept attacking Tom again and again, until the demon fell on his knees, eyes still blood red.

"Knock it off man!" Riku slid back as Marco stood between himself and Tom. _Huh? _He turned toward Kairi, who stood next to Riku now. She gave a small smile, with Riku elbowing Kairi in pride. _Nice work. _Turning to his new friends, Marco simply was shaking Tom, trying to snap him out of his apparent angered rampage. The demon just growled in frustration, nearly throwing Marco at Riku. Marco stabbed his United Bonds into the ground, having a firm face screaming 'knock it off' to Tom. The demon just growled again, charging into Marco like a wild animal. Marco just stopped his feet in place, Riku and Kairi readying themselves for the skeleton army Tom summoned out of nowhere.

"Dude, we can't let our anger toward ourselves and Star control us!" Marco shouted, with Tom backing off somewhat at his words. "We all hurt each other and are all equally to blame! I said sorry for kissing Star in that booth but… That wasn't enough." Marco marched forward, his light making Tom's angered form back away. Riku and Kairi smiled in pride at Marco, skillfully dodging and attacking Tom's make-shift army. "We are better than this. Please bro."

"M-Marco…" Tom mumbled, his three eyes slowly calming down. Even his body stopped being completely in flames, only his hands. "The anger… It hurt so much…"

"I know the feeling," Marco started, letting his grip go and holding out a simple fist. "Let's fight over games instead of killing one another… Again. Okay?" Tom's body shook as he took various deep breaths. Letting out a shaky smile, he fist bumped Marco and his eyes were their usual faint red. The skeleton army subsided, with Riku and Kairi sighing in relief. The four keyblade users gave each other a look silently saying 'Sorry for nearly killing you' before loud screams got their attention.

* * *

Sora didn't know why his dual-wielding wasn't working, but he _wished _he could summon another keyblade right about now. Star kept attacking Sora relentlessly, being donned in her golden butterfly form. Each of her six arms wielded either a keyblade or a magical blade, with Sora only able to block her strikes. His ears did pick up his friend's battles concluding, but grit his teeth as Star slammed six different blades on Sora's Kingdom Key.

Sliding back, he was shocked it didn't get chipped again. Flicking his wrist, he was relieved to summon the Crystal Snowflake Keychain. Feeling a form-change come over him, his hands were coated in frozen blades, as was his feet with ice skates. Using ice magic and dual-strikes, Sora attacked Star, even able to freeze her in place with a well-timed widespread Blizzardza strike. Leaping in the air to finish the job, Star broke free and flew in the air, shooting a powerful magic blast from her palms.

Shadow forms her appeared as well, each one using different spells. Sliding away from angry narwhals, spiders shooting bullets from their hat and even unicorns charging into him, Sora would laugh at how _fun _the fight would be if he wasn't so upset. _She's supposed to be a princess of light, she's acting more like some dark queen. _Sora thought bitterly, leaping in the air and making a pillar of ice, letting it crash down on Star. She flew away from the finisher, with Sora summoning a toy-hammer to slam her down to the ground. Star bounced into the air, with Sora's frustration ready to use Second Form on her.

"...I won't lose." Sora paused, landing on the ground and letting Star cough out some blood. "I… I need to fight. I… I can't fall." She cracked her neck, holding out her six fists like a boxer on the verge of passing out. "I have no one… I only have myself."

"Stop putting up the act." Marco started, gently pushing Sora back and hugging Star. She wanted to push him away, but he didn't budge at all. "You, Tom and I. We all have darkness in us." He pushed her back enough to meet her at eye level. Her turned blue once more, tears coming down them. "It's hard, trying and trying when people don't respect us." He turned toward Tom, the demon looking guilty as Star right now. "Have our issues to face." And he faced Star again, closing his eyes. "And have so much guilt in ourselves, it's hard to bottle it in."

"But our bond, it's a lie." Star wept, but Marco shook his head, hugging his princess tight. Warm red light shined down on the two of them. "I… I like this, even though it's wrong."

"How is it wrong, when it feels so right?" Marco smiled, tears coming down his cheeks. They faintly glowed red crescent moons, with Star's heart marks, cracked no longer and glowing a bright red. "Just because we had a little help guiding us together, doesn't mean our time together meant nothing. It means _everything_, rough stops and all."

"When did you get so good at making me feel better?" Star sniffled, wiping her tears away. Marco cupped her cheek, kissing her lovingly. Sora folded his arms at this display of love, relieved the situation was under control. Kairi elbowed him, making Sora mouth 'mmh'. She pointed at the moon above them, it emitting a glowing keyhole. Sora felt a familiar sensation come over him, letting light coat his body, the world around him vanishing. Instead, he was in a domain not unlike the Final World. Kingdom Key firmly held in both hands, he shot a beam of light into the keyhole, making light burst out of it.

His eyes opened up… Not being on the moon anymore. Blinking, he looked at his surroundings, seeing the familiar streets of Shyuba once more. _**Brother? You came back finally… **_Sora blinked, wondering if this is some sick joke or not. But no, he was in the rain-lit street of his favorite city once more. "Damn it!" Sora kicked the nearest garbage can, sending it flying into the alleyway ahead of him.

"Sora! Are you…" Strez tried talking to him, but he harshly went right past her, anger flaring in his blue eyes. He didn't care that he was in front of Yozora's Castle. Or that he felt stronger again. Or that he had Vanitias ever-present within his skull. _I lost her again. Right when I helped another couple together. Figures… _

Even Vanitias shut up, letting Sora cool off before saying anything. Strez just frowned, her free hand petting the little Flood Unversed Vanitias gave her to calm down.

* * *

Back on Mewni, five figures crashed into a courtyard. Rikiu rubbed his tired head, seeing Star, Kairi, Marco, and Tom firmly out cold. Riku looked around him, figuring his best friend would be around…

"Guys!" Kelly shouted, rushing into the courtyard. Alongside her were the three Foretellers, Eclipsa, Donald and Goofy. Kelly dashed toward her friends, with the Foretellers helping Kairi up. _He… He vanished. _Riku thought to himself, looking into the sky. _That Moon… It was the reason he was here. _Taking a glance at Kairi's exhausted form.

Biting his lip, he just frowned, joining his other best friend. And prayed he took Sora's 'second death' well.

* * *

_**Bit of a heavy chapter and I know a plot thread or two isn't resolved, but keep an eye out for that next chapter ;). Review responses incoming!**_

_**Nyxie Is A Gamer Nerd - Thank you!**_

_**blackpackager - Aqua's actually going to show up soon, so keep an eye out. **_

_**Sentinel07 - Thank you!**_

_**TaitanoRules555 - Thanks :).**_

_**RyuAssassin - Well, this chapter clearly shows she can't do much to help Sora out regarding that. And she didn't like the scar, simply was so 'surprised' to see it. **_

_**Gracekim20 - It's been fun melding Star Vs and KH stuff together and even post this world, you are going to see Star/Marco again for sure. **_

_**7 - Yep. **_

_**prince of underbrush - Yeah, it was a lot of fun letting the crew interact. **_


	28. Update

_**I know many of you likely are wondering when the next chapters are coming for this story. Truth is, I kinda 'messed up', with the intense focus on the Star Vs arc, and I've been trying to figure out what do next. That's what happens when you make a story with like, over 30 something major characters. You lose focus. **_

_**So when I return to this project, it will be strictly focused on a character group in their own arcs. The next set of chapters are going to focus on Ventus exploring Arendle with the dandelions with a chapter prior diving into the 'aftermath' of the Mewni arc (which will be a short piece of content). **_

_**I still am a huge KH fan and really am proud of this project, so sorry for those awaiting chapters for nearly a full month or two. I got a lot of the story mapped out for all the main groups I established, so no one is going to get ignored. But the focus is going to be a lot tighter on this project and IF I feel like I can't write this anymore, I will have a good send-off for everyone (have one rattling in my head at this moment). **_

_**Thank you for sticking with me and hope you enjoy content when I get back to writing this story. **_


	29. Final Update - New Beginnings

_**Hello everyone! It's been... God, months since I came back to this project. I'm deeply sorry for leaving this unfinished, but the thing I wanted to say is, that this project isn't scrapped, but will be rebooted. Yes, this means that the story will be marked 'complete' when it isn't. The problem is that I juggled waaaaay too much, and the end result is a mess that narratively could've been so much better. **_

_**And it also helps we have a clearer picture of where stuff is going narratively thanks to the updates to KH X and ReMind. So using the newfound knowledge and my better writing abilities in recent months will be mapping out a much more nuanced and focused story. A lot of the 'core' I established here (MoM identity, Kairi's quest, etc) will carry over, but it will be more focused and the worlds covered will be different as well. **_

_**I cannot promise this Re: Quest for the Heart will be releasing shortly or even within the next week, but I will release the new story sooner than later. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, great feedback and overall engagement. It was a blast writing this months ago and it showed me how awesome the KH fandom truly is. It was an honor writing this story for you guys and hope you follow me into the new version of the narrative coming in the future. **_


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